Muddied Orange
by Jalen Kun
Summary: Being reborn into the Naruto Universe is astonishing enough. Meeting the cheerful face of Uzumaki Naruto is enough to send people into shock-induced comas. How unpredictable, though, can reincarnation be if, instead of seeing the exuberant blond, you see a lonely, broken one? / AU / Male!OC / Self-insert
1. Extremely Wrong

**Summary: Being reborn into the Naruto Universe is astonishing enough. Meeting the cheerful face of Uzumaki Naruto is enough to send people into shock-induced comas. How unpredictable, though, can reincarnation be if, instead of seeing the exuberant blond, you see a lonely, broken one? AU Male!OC Self-insert**

* * *

**Muddied ****Orange**

_Chapter One: Extremely Wrong_

Kumugai Arashi walked slowly. Every little step he took felt like being hit on the temple with the bunt end of a kunai - it **hurt** him to continue going. He visibly cringed every five steps, stopping for a bit, before continuing on in tense-filled silence. His face was scrunched up in worry, beads of sweat trickling down the sides of his face. He clutched the rather heavy Konoha Ninja Headband in his right hand.

Today was the day. He was finally going to be an official Konoha Genin. All of those painstaking hours of practicing taijutsu in the Orphanage Backyard really paid off. All of those boring nights practicing chakra control in his futon really did it for him. He was getting his teammates and Jounin Instructor today.

That wasn't the reason why he was nervous, though. Sure, it had to do with team placement, but not his in particular. He couldn't care less what team they picked out for him...just as long as it didn't interfere with the special people.

Hundreds of _'what if's'_ swam through his head, literally giving the boy a headache. He didn't need that. He was already sleepy - shown by the bags under his eyes - because there was no way he could sleep last night with the hundreds of doubts in his brain. So, he used that time to practice the control of his chakra, sending the majority of it to a certain part of his body...then another...then another. It was a rather overused form of getting the chakra comfortable with every part of his body so that he could draw upon it during dire situations. Rather it be to enhance his running speed or to add an extra **'umph'** to his punch.

He did this the majority of his nights, as he could hardly ever sleep anymore. No one in his situation could sleep peacefully with the knowledge of what the future brings. Of how the people that he's spoken to will be **crushed under their houses** or simply **dealt with by enemy shinobi.** Of how the person who smiled at him yesterday for carrying her groceries will be **screaming for help she might never get.**

It was hard keeping all of it in during the day...it was hard not being able to help some of those poor people, even when he could by turning himself in to the authorities. They would extract his memories, use them to their benefit, and...and he'd be executed for knowing things he shouldn't.

That Uzumaki Naruto is the son of Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage. That the Uchiha Massacre was a direct order from Danzo to Itachi.

Just those two alone would get him executed. Not even counting having personal knowledge on basically everyone; their Jutsu, abilities, and...for some, their death.

He wouldn't, he **couldn't** turn himself in. As messed up as it was, and it sickened him, but he valued his own life over the thousands of others in the village. The ninja handbook said to fight, bleed, and die for the village...to put the village over himself and slit his own neck if need be; he knew that. But this was his _second life_, for Christ's Sake! He died once, in a way he'd rather keep buried in his subconscious, and he'd be **damned** if he was going to die again just because he felt guilty. It wasn't _his_ fault that he was reborn into the Naruto Universe.

It wasn't _his_ fault that he remembered everything about his past life, including the anime _and_ manga. Naruto _and_ Naruto Shippuden.

It really wasn't _his_ fault that he had information that every shinobi in this village - no, every shinobi in this **world** would literally murder for.

And it really, totally, **honestly** wasn't _his_ fault that all that precious information he had stored up in his brain could all be for naught because of one variable. One little important thing that messed up when his spirit was brought to an alternate universe.

...Ever heard of an alternate universe of an alternate universe?

* * *

**"My name's Arashi because, inside, there's a storm."**

* * *

Kumugai Arashi reluctantly walked into the classroom. His headband was still clutched nervously in his right hand, and he decided that instead of looking overly anxious, he'd just resort to biting his bottom lip. Though, no one really talked to him that much, anyway.

He was always the quiet one in the class. Especially when...

_No_. He did _not_ want to think about that. It just went to show how wrong things were in this world - this _alternate universe of an alternate universe_. It just went to show how much he wouldn't be prepared for just because of one...incident.

It hurt. It truly hurt. It made reality hit faster than it should've; it made Arashi truly realize how dire the situation really was. How he was trapped in the ninja world and-

**No**. He really needed to **stop** thinking. He'd just end up depressing himself more than he needed. He already had a headache, and he was still dead tired.

"Oi, Arashi-san."

The voice of Nara Shikamaru cut through his thoughts, making Arashi look up at the sound. He blinked - _why is he talking to..?_ - before realizing who this was and started to freak out. He instantly looked away from Shikamaru, face a bit red.

"O-Ohaiyo, Shikamaru-san..."

"You look dead tired. Did you sleep at all last night?"

He nervously shook his head in response.

Shikamaru sucked his teeth. "Troublesome. It's not that big of a deal, you know..."

Arashi nodded. He looked at the Nara, _met his eyes,_ and looked back to the floor, shifting uneasily. Shikamaru just sighed; he was used to this. Him and Arashi weren't exactly friends, but after that incident, the boy seemed more secluded...more kicked back into his shell.

It was as if he was trying to replace her...

"Anyway, Arashi-san, we're becoming ninja today, remember? You were supposed to bring your headband," he stated.

"I did," Arashi mumbled, bringing it out from behind his back and showing it to the Nara. "I...kinda wanted to wait a bit before wearing it. I know it seems childish, b-but it feels like a dream to have this; I don't want to ruin it..."

He looked back up at Shikamaru, _their eyes met again,_ and he instantly shot back down...shifting again.

"I-I'm gonna sit down now."

Shikamaru frowned, but nodded his head nonetheless. They probably weren't going to see each other again in a while - the Nara already figured out who'd be on his team - so he thought he'd at least try and see if he could get the other boy out of his shell before they went out in the real word. He tried; it didn't work. Any more effort would be _way_ too troublesome.

They parted ways, Arashi going one way and Shikamaru going the other. On the inside, Arashi was freaking out. Every time he looked one of the main characters in the eyes, he panicked. He couldn't really maintain eye contact with anyone, really, but...every time he looked into one of the Rookie 9's eyes...he felt so **guilty!**

He could've prevented that incident if he only remembered! If he only _talked_ to Naruto, asked him what was wrong, turned him back into his real self! **Hinata wouldn't have killed herself!** Everything would be going back canon, and he'd have nothing to worry about!

He was guilty; he blamed himself for Hinata's suicide. He'd blame himself for everyone else's death, too. And he'd be dead right with them, if not before them. The only reason Arashi applied to join the academy was because he refused to die like those civilians, to die _pitiful_ deaths with no one to know nor care. He refused to be **crushed under rubble.** He refused to be **taken out by bored, bloodthirsty ninja. **

He refused to be a meaningless speck. He refused to die for the world to continue spinning as if nothing happened. He didn't want to die. Not again. And civilians die far easier than shinobi.

In truth, Kumugai Arashi was a coward. He was **scared** when the Kyuubi attacked, because he was just a confused, dumb baby. He was **scared** when his baby eyes finally developed to welcome an Orphanage - his parents both killed on October 10th; mother because of childbirth and father because of fighting the Kyuubi. He was **terrified** to realize that he was in the Naruto Universe. He was even **frightened** to confront Uzumaki Naruto himself, even when they both shared the same birthday and stayed at the same orphanage.

It sickened him how much of a coward he was. How he wouldn't turn himself in to the Yamanaka Corps. because he wanted to live, even though he'd be saving thousands of people in the process. How he couldn't even look people in the eyes. How speaking with any of the Rookie 9 resulted in stuttering and stammering.

He'd spit at himself if he could.

Kumugai Arashi was a self-loathing type of person. Also the type to worry about things to the point of mild insanity.

During his stressful thinking, he didn't realize Naruto sitting in the seat beside him. Only when the blond boy coughed next to him did he turn his head...and instantly turn away, turning considerably paler. Naruto was sitting next to him. _The_ Uzumaki Naruto was sitting next to him.

...No...actually, not _the_ Uzumaki Naruto.

Arashi didn't know why, but this Naruto differed from the canon Naruto. Something happened to this Naruto that didn't happen to the original Naruto. Something, probably a cosmic calamity, brought Arashi not into the Alternate Universe that is Naruto...but an Alternate Universe of the Alternate Universe. _Naruto X?_ He didn't know.

He just knew that canon Naruto was boisterous; this Naruto was calm, quiet, more to himself. Canon Naruto was friendly and talked to mostly everyone; this Naruto spoke only when being spoken to. Canon Naruto brightened up the room; you don't even notice this Naruto is here most of the time. Canon Naruto was an extrovert; this Naruto was an introvert. They were polar opposites.

Something was wrong. Extremely wrong.

Yet, Arashi, no matter how screwed he knew the situation was...couldn't help but want to talk to this version of Naruto. He wanted to find out what made him like this. He wanted to _fix_ him. He hadn't had the nerves to do it before, and Hinata was **dead** because of that. He didn't even have the nerves talk to the blond now, but he needed to right his wrongs...and he doubted he'd get another chance. Naruto moved out of the orphanage years ago; there would be no other chance to talk to him.

Unless they were put on the same team. And that. Can. Not. Happen.

He had to try. He had to try now.

If not. Then...things would just get wronger and wronger...

He slowly turned back around, nervously sweating and blood pumping. He could do this. Just don't look him in the eyes. He. Could. Do. This.

"N-N-Naruto-san," Arashi practically whispered, eyes down to the table. Uzumaki Naruto slightly turned his head, not knowing if the boy beside him called him or not because he was so quiet. "O-Ohaiyo..."

"...Ohaiyo." And the blond turned back to stare in a melancholic way at the bored. Arashi wanted to frown, but kept a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I...thought you failed the Genin test. What happened?" Make small talk. Try and become friends.

"...Stuff happened. Just know I _am_ a ninja now." So he doesn't want to tell him...at least that scene went more or less canon. The boy wouldn't even be a ninja if not, and that would be...bad.

"Ah. Th-That's nice...Naruto-san, d-did you learn any cool Jutsu?" Keep pushing. Bring the cheery Naruto back out.

"Yes."

Arashi's eyes almost flashed in mild happiness. The boy was actually, more-or-less, having a conversation with Naruto! And if it continued on like this, then...maybe Naruto won't be as unsocial-

"Why are you talking to me, Kumugai-san?" Naruto demanded, fully turning to look at the other boy. Arashi flinched, not daring to meet the blond's narrowed eyes, and shifted uneasily. "This is the second time you've said a **word** to me, and the first time was just to ask why I left the orphanage and then run away when I gave you my answer."

Arashi remembered that. He knew the boy was going to leave sooner or later, but when it happened so...abruptly...it shocked him. And the adults running the orphanage didn't say anything about it, the kids didn't even care! Uzumaki Naruto was just the boy that no one talked to; you could pick on him and steal his food, and not even the orphanage caretakers would care. Yet, Arashi wanted to know...and he didn't trust the adults to give him a truthful answer.

_"Because they hate me, so I hate them. The kids don't like me, so I don't like them. And you, Arashi, are one of those kids!"_

The answer, believe it or not, troubled him deeply. The anger his voice gave off, coupled with the anguish his eyes showed...

Kumugai Arashi ran back to the orphanage and burst into tears. He didn't talk to anyone for a whole week. He was angry at the orphanage, confused as to why Naruto didn't like him when he did nothing wrong to the boy, and so, so sad. Even with the mind of a teenager, being put into the body of a child made his childish emotions come back, so he cried like a baby.

Arashi remembered, and turned a deep shade of red at the memory.

"Why are you suddenly trying to start a conversation with me?!" He continued, saying the words loud, and Arashi had to thank the Lord that all of the girls were fighting over who would sit next to Sasuke, so no one noticed.

"C-C-Call me Ara-kun, if you want," Arashi mumbled, looking to the floor. Naruto almost snorted, quieting down when he realized he was on the verge of screaming. "A-And because...I want to be your...f-friend, Naruto-san..."

"I don't believe you."

And with that last sentence, Uzumaki Naruto got up from his seat and walked away, moving to sit by Aburame Shino. Kumugai Arashi was stunned; he didn't even even turn to see Naruto go. After a few seconds of his mind doing backflips - _this...can't be..!_ -tears welled up in his eyes, and he thanked himself for wearing goggles so no one could see.

In a swift motion, he jumped up, ran out the classroom, pushed past Iruka - who was just walking in - and headed towards the bathroom.

* * *

**"My name's Arashi because, inside, there's a storm."**

* * *

Arashi came back in the classroom a few minutes later. He apologized to Iruka for suddenly running out, and after his apology was accepted, sat down in between Inuzuka Kiba and Ishima Kyoko. The dog boy pointedly ignored the new Genin, much to Arashi's thankfulness, and Kyoko just smiled nicely at him. She was just a random girl that wanted to become a ninja, probably for Sasuke, so Arashi never really talked to her.

Iruka started his speech on how he was so very proud of all of them and that they'd make very great ninja. This was the point where Arashi was practically biting his fingers in nervousness; the anxiousness of getting put on a team of three was finally taking it's toll. At first, he only cared about the Rookie 9, but he forgot that they were called the Rookie 9 for a reason...because they were the only one's who passed the test their Jounin gave them.

If he was put on a team with any of the _other kids,_ then...he'd fail alongside them. Although, since Hinata was dead...he could be placed on a team with Shino and Kiba. He didn't want that, though; it'd feel like he got rid of her _and then_ replaced her. Also, he doubted he'd be that lucky anyway.

Iruka started talking about team placements and the sort, and the boy really did have to stop himself from trembling in worry. It seemed that, no matter what team he was placed on, it'd be bad. Either he failed, or he ended up replacing Hinata...and that was just _if_ the other teams were the same as canon.

"...Team Four: Kumugai Arashi-kun, Asakura Ami-chan, and Satoshi Toby-kun. Team Five..."

Arashi blanked out. He wouldn't be on a team with Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, nor Shino. He wouldn't be apart of the Rookie 9...he wouldn't be an influence to the main plot at all...

Isn't that what he wanted? It is, isn't it? He didn't want to influence anything...he just wanted to right the wrongs. Could he do that now? No. Could he have done it anyway? He doubted it. Being on a team with Ami and Toby couldn't be that bad; the former being a Sasuke fan-girl and the latter being the boy that pushed Naruto and made him accidentally kiss Sasuke in the anime.

Oh, wait. No, it _could_. Ami was a complete bitch to anyone that wasn't Sasuke or her groupies. She probably wanted to became a ninja just so that she could impress Sasuke. Toby was a wannabe playboy; treating boys like cockroaches and desperately trying to get with every girl in the class. He probably wanted to become a ninja just so he'd look cooler while he flirted.

Being on a team with those two would be tortuous. Arashi was considering slamming his face on the desk, and the looks of pity from the other kids wasn't helping in the slightest. Oh, wait. They wouldn't even make Genin to begin with; they'd fail whatever test their Jounin sensei gave them. He didn't specifically know what happened to the kids that failed their senseis' tests...but he suspected that they dropped out altogether.

He didn't want that. All of that hard work... Just to drop out in the end? Unlike his two teammates, he had **real** goals. He wanted to save as many people as possible in the upcoming attacks...he wanted to change Naruto back into his real self...he even had the stupid idea that he could probably stop Kabuto and prevent all the future mess that was bound to come.

But who was he? Just because he was one of the lucky (or unlucky) people to be reincarnated into the Naruto Universe...doesn't mean he's the hero of some _stupid fanfiction_, or something as equally unrealistic. His skills were nowhere near those of the main characters. He was probably as weak as _Sakura!_ In a real fight...he'd be completely useless.

What did he want to be a ninja for..? Oh, yeah...to survive...and to save people...

His morals and goals were becoming twisted. He needed to **stop** thinking and to just **do**. To **see** what his future brought rather than to predict _badbadbad_ things. He needed to listen to the rest of the teams...and then go from there...

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura-chan, and Uchiha Sasuke-kun. Team Eight: Inuzuka Kiba-kun, Aburame Shino-kun, and Saito Ayame-chan. Team Nine is still in effect from last year. Team Ten: Nara Shikamaru-kun, Yamanaka Ino-chan, and Akimichi Chouji-kun."

...Arashi caught how Iruka didn't add a honorific to Naruto's name. Either they were closer than in canon...or Iruka gave Naruto the same amount of respect the whole village did. None. Also, he was overly relieved that the Rookie 9 was more-or-less the same. Just with the exception of Hinata...replaced with Ayame. Arashi heard that she was the daughter of a swordsman - which didn't seem like a lie since she always carried a sword wherever she went - so he guessed she was good enough for a replacement.

Of course, he had worries that wouldn't stop nagging him. Like, with Naruto the way he is, will that change anything? Anything important? Will the sensei's be the same? Will Ayame bring her team down or bring them up? And what about _his_ team? He didn't want all his hard work to be for naught. Could he do something to change the outcome of their futures? Could he, the shy, crybaby Kumugai Arashi, really change the future - _his_ future?

"Time for lunch break. It would be a good idea to get to know your teammates more; you'll be putting your life in their hands and theirs in yours," Iruka advised. For some reason, that just made Arashi gulp.

_...It can't be so bad, _he thought, looking around for his team. Ami glared at him, while Toby just stuck up his nose.

He sighed, Kyoko giving him a sympathetic look. He needed to try, though. If he was going to pass, he needed to befriend his two unbearable teammates.

If he was going to change anything, he needed to start with them.

* * *

**Author's Notes: A plot bunny that just wouldn't go away, no matter how many times I swiped and blew. If you have any questions, leave a review and I'll answer it to the best of my abilities. Here are some questions you may have, though...**

**1. Why did Hinata kill herself? **

_You know how her dad was a complete bastard to her, right? Letting her sister kick her ass during sparring sections and then adding insult to injury, right? Hinata said this before, but if Naruto wasn't involuntarily there for her...if he wasn't always cheerful and smiling and never giving up, she would've taken the wrong path. Suicide is the wrong path. Therefore, since Naruto is the complete opposite of what he was in the anime, she had no one to continue pushing her on...and committed suicide. _

**2. Why is Naruto not as he was in the anime? **

_This is an AU. You always hear about people being reincarnated in the Naruto world, but I've yet to see someone being reincarnated in an AU of the Naruto world. Have you read an amazing fic called Introverted? That's how Naruto is in this story, more or less. This is an AU, and that's just one of the changes. _

**3. Is Arashi going to be a weak, crybaby most of the time? **

_I hate fics where the main character is on par with Kakashi the first day they get there, or the main character has no qualms about any of the irregular things in the Naruto world. This is the NARUTO UNIVERSE; WHERE KIDS KILL FOR A LIVING! You can't expect me to believe that, since you're in the Naruto Universe now, you have no problems with killing...and you enjoy doing it just because you're supposed to a ninja now. It irks me so much. We don't kill for a living in this world; so five minutes in their world shouldn't turn you into an emotionless, mini-version of Anko. So, to answer the question, he'll cry when needed be, as he is not used to being a ninja and also dealing with the stress of all the changes in that world, and he will not be super strong at first, but gradually get stronger as he progresses. And about the killing...he _is_ a ninja. _

**4. Arashi's birthday? **

_I mentioned that his mother died when he was born...and his dad died fighting the Kyuubi...both on October 10th. So yes, Arashi and Naruto have the same birthday. Arashi's a few hours older. _

**5. Will Arashi ever die? **

_His survival is not certain. Notice how this isn't in First Person P.O.V, so he can die and this story can still go on. This is going to be as realistic as possible. So, gore and death is assured..._

* * *

**Also, people, Arashi's picture is the picture for this story. That's how he really looks. **

**I hope you continue reading, and if you still have questions, just ask. Bye bii~!**


	2. Difficulties

**Muddied ****Orange**

_Chapter Two: Difficulties _

Kumugai Arashi hated his eyes.

He saw pictures of his parents' eyes; both a lovely dark brown. His, though - a _defect_, a _genetical mistake_ - were a dark red.

Kumugai Arashi detested his eyes.

It was impossible for him to maintain eye contact when, instead of actually listening to him, the people he talked to stared in bewilderment at his unique eye color.

Kumugai Arashi loathed his eyes.

He squirmed under the awed stares of the children, and he shed away from the strange looks of the adults. That's why he wore dark goggles, but even then...it wasn't enough.

Kumugai Arashi hated, just like the horrible situation he was in, his horrendous eyes.

* * *

**"Y-You can call me Ara-kun...if you want..."**

* * *

The three preteens sat at a small round table outside.

Arashi kept his head down while his two teammates ate their packed lunches. He didn't have a lunch packed; the orphanage didn't distribute them. He could have packed some ramen from Ichiraku's - the place was _extremely_ good - but he just didn't have that kind of money. That was alright, though. Dinner at the orphanage was more than enough for him.

"N-Ne, Ami-chan...and T-Toby-kun," Arashi called out, voice still just above a whisper. "Can I call you two that..? Y-You can call me Ara-kun, if you want..."

"Only Sasuke-kun can call me that. You'll call me Ami-_sama_, got it, Arashi?"

"Sorry, man, but I don't need any boys adding _kun_ after my name. Teammate or not. Seems kinda gay, doesn't it, Arashi?"

_...Says the one who seemed to be staring pretty intently when you made Naruto accidentally kiss Sasuke, _Arashi bitterly thought, still staring intently at the table. He squirmed a bit under their gazes, face turning redder by the second. _He's probably in denial about his sexual preferences. Yeah. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense._

_And Ami, _Arashi continued, anger bubbling inside him. _It'll be a cold day in __**Hell**__ when I call her 'Ami-sama.' And it sickens me that she thinks Sasuke would even look at her, much less call out her name. _

"G-Gomen," he apologized, reluctantly. It wasn't like he could say what was on his mind anyway. That's another thing he hated about himself. That didn't matter, though. He just needed to befriend them. They'll get to names later, but first, he needed to become their friend, and then pass that Jounin test. "You can call me whatever you see right..."

Ami hummed in response, continuing her lunch. Toby was too distracted to even nod, instead staring at the random pink haired girl that decided to walk by...Haruno Sakura. She was looking around for something - or _someone_ - hands to her chest in a worried fashion.

_She's probably trying to find Sasuke, _Arashi concluded, bringing his eyes away from the wandering girl and back to his teammates. He was curious as to how the story would change with Naruto not liking Sakura anymore, but he'd snoop around their team dynamics after he fixed his own.

Ami had a permanent scowl on her face, obviously dissatisfied by the team selection. Toby looked bored as Hell when Sakura was too far to be seen anymore, finding his food more interesting than anything else. Heck, even Arashi, the timid introvert, wanted to slam his head against the table and exclaim how boring and awkward this was; how dissatisfied _he_ was.

He didn't, though.

"...S-So, what do you two like to do in your free time?" Arashi asked. He honestly wanted to know, but he mostly asked just to speed up the progress. They only had an hour for lunch, and ten uneventful minutes were already wasted.

"...I guess I go to the hot springs a lot," Toby answered, still looking dully at his half-finished food. "What about you, huh?"

That was progress, Arashi guessed, and he hadn't expected to be asked the question back.

"A-Ah, uh...I practice my chakra control a lot. I'd like to think...th-that I kind of specialize in it-"

"You'll never be as good as Sasuke-kun," Ami abruptly interrupted, giving him the stink eye. "Sasuke-kun's the best; you wilt in comparison. Actually, you should work on your speaking skills." She then turned to glare at Toby, who deadpanned back at her with narrowed, uncaring eyes. "And you, you annoyingly sick pervert. You obviously just go to the hot springs to peep on the girls' naked bodies."

"Wh-Wha-?!"

"Don't act so surprised and innocent. Perv."

Ami and Toby started arguing then, words ranging from "bitch" to "pervert" and then from "bastard" to "flat-chested whore." Arashi ignored them, turning redder and redder. Not because he was nervous; because he was irate. There was no reason - _none at all!_ - for her to suddenly snap at the poor boy like that. And just to gloat about a boy that probably _doesn't even know her name._ It literally sickened Arashi.

There was no way they could be a team. Ami was obviously going to continue being a total bitch, and Toby was definitely not the type to work together in a team with them.

The goggle-wearing boy was angry. He wasn't pissed - he wasn't the same at all when he was pissed - but he was _soveryangry._ There was no way they'd pass their Jounin's test; the two Genin were already too messed up for Arashi to fix in a couple of hours. They'd fail and be forced to drop out. It was fate. It was their destiny.

He couldn't change destiny.

And it made him angry.

"Ah, shut up. I'm done talking to you." Ami turned away from Toby, looking back at Arashi, who stayed strangely silent after her mean words. She liked to think he was hurt by them, but she couldn't tell with him constantly looking to the table. "Anyway, I guess I like being around Sasuke-kun and putting that forehead-girl in her place. Oh, and-"

She stopped. Arashi still wasn't looking at her. It looked like he was ignoring her.

She hated being ignored. She was too beautiful to be ignored, right? Right?

"Oi. Look at me when I'm talking to you, Arashi."

"Don't call me that."

"...What?"

"I don't want you to call me 'Arashi,' Asakura-san," he remarked sharply. "Call me Kumugai-san and nothing else. You too, Satoshi-san."

"Huh? Why me?" Toby blinked. "I mean, I know you're a boy, but we don't have to be _that_ formal-"

"I don't care. I really don't care!" Arashi stood up, still not looking at them. They couldn't see it, thankfully, but tears welled up in the boy's eyes. "I don't care anymore. Argue; I don't care. Insult me; I don't care. I really, _really_ don't care."

And with that, he turned and stomped away to who-knows-where, leaving Ami and Toby astonished. Did Arashi just get up and _yell_ at them? Without stuttering and acting shy in the process? And then just _stomp_ away?

It seemed too surreal.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ami finally regained her senses and bristled, glaring at his retreating form. That was so _ill-mannered! _You don't just walk away when having a group meeting! That just doesn't happen! It was so uncharacteristic of the quiet boy that she couldn't even reply, and he got up and left before she could get over her shock!

It pissed her off, and she wanted nothing more than for Arashi to turn back around and beg for forgiveness.

"...**Bah!**" She exclaimed in fury, jumping up and stomping off in a direction opposite of the meek boy. She'd go find and watch Sasuke eat, or something like that. She didn't need Arashi, and she definitely didn't need that _pervert_. Her team was **dead** to her; she **hated** them.

A few seconds after Ami left did Toby finally regain his senses. And he wasn't exactly mad - because why would he be mad some boy left the table? He was more...bewildered. He was more _astonished_. What did Toby do to him anyway? Ami was the one who snapped at him like that; all he did was eat his lunch. Shouldn't Arashi be more neutral towards him?

Whatever. Toby didn't care anyway. Arashi was just a boy, even _if_ his teammate. He wanted to be on a team with two girls, but luck was not with him in that department, so he got arrogant stupid bitch and a diffident, bipolar boy on his team. Life just wasn't fair sometimes...

With those thoughts, he grabbed his lunch, threw it in the trashcan, and walked away. Maybe he could see what Sakura was up to..? They didn't talk much, but he was bored, and he needed to flirt with _somebody_.

* * *

**"Y-You can call me Ara-kun...if you want..."**

* * *

Arashi continued walking in silence, heading towards the bathroom. He needed to get the tears out of his eyes - and probably wash his face to cool his anger as well. Yeah, that seemed like a good idea. There was no point in him being heated up; it would change nothing.

Although, he hated Ami. He really hated her. They've hardly - if _ever_ - even talked to each other, yet she persists to treat him like some sort of toy. Well, he wasn't going to bend to the will of that purple haired girl. She wasn't going to boss him around. _She wasn't going to_ - he wouldn't **allow** it! And Toby, as neutral he may be, was just as bad. Arashi didn't like either of them, and he'd be **damned** to put up with their shit.

As Arashi stepped in the bathroom, took off his goggles, rubbed his crimson eyes, and began washing his face...the anger slowly began washing away. And despair almost instantly took over.

He was going to fail his Jounin's test.

There was no doubt about it. If the test was anything like Kakashi's, they'd fail. He couldn't get them all to work together to save his life. And if it wasn't like Kakashi's test - if it was something else entirely that he wouldn't be prepared for - then he'd still fail. If the kids in canon didn't pass, why should he? How _could_ he?

Arashi had no faith in his abilities. It it came down to it, both Toby and Ami could beat his ass. It was pointless to even think he could become a Genin.

Yet, no matter how otiose, it really hit him hard to know that all those hard, tiring, _exhausting_ years of training to become a Genin would all be for naught. And nobody would care; he didn't have _anyone_ to care for him. He'd end up a stupid civilian being **drowned in his own blood. **

And nobody would care.

He let out a sigh, turning off the water. _Just endure, _he coached himself. _Just try to endure. _

Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open. Arashi turned around absently to see...Uzumaki Naruto...looking extremely uncomfortable. Naruto stopped his speed walking and turned, giving Arashi a surprised yet confused look.

_A-Ah...It's N-Naruto-san. _Arashi's mind was doing motorcycle stunts, gears in his head stuttering. _Why is he-? Ah...even now, he still drank the spoiled milk..._

Even as Arashi tried to smile, albeit awkwardly, Naruto continued to stare. And stare. And stare. It was getting harder and harder for Arashi to take. Was he just going to keep gawking? And why..?

**Wait! **

His goggles.

They weren't on.

Oh shit.

_Ohshitohshitohshit_.

He moved at speeds inhuman as he grabbed the pair of goggles off of the counter and ran out of the bathroom. Uzumaki Naruto couldn't say anything as he was swiftly, albeit gently, pushed to the side. Arashi was gone the next second, no indication that he was in the bathroom at all.

_That...was Kumugai-san? _Naruto asked himself, tilting his head. _It's been a long time since I've seen him without his goggles...those red eyes..._

Suddenly, _violently_, his stomach started acting up again - practically tearing up his intestines. He yelped in pain for a quick second, before running in one of the stalls and letting it all out.

As he groaned in discomfort, his mind wandered to his team. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. One being the heir of the now-dead Uchiha clan. The other being a pink haired civilian girl that got high marks on every single written test.

Naruto wanted to think that his teammates would be his friends...but he knew too well that nothing went his way. He was dead last in the class; the Uchiha would rather kill himself than associate with him - with _anybody!_ They were **beneath** him, Naruto guessed.

And Sakura...he didn't like to think of her. A childhood crush being viciously stomped upon. All of his attempts to get her attention - _shattered_. She turned out to be just like the rest. Nasty and _deceitful_. A **liar**. It hurt. He hated liars. He hated them with a passion.

At least Sasuke made it clear he didn't like the blond. The stone cold words rang in his ears ever so clearly.

_"Don't try and be friendly, Dead Last." _

And the pinkette, of course, faked a smile and followed like a lovestruck puppy. If Naruto talked a bit more, she'd probably proclaim how much she hated him, too. But - because she thought she was being _nice_, because she thought it'd _hurt his feelings_ - she said it in her mind. She _wasn't_ being nice. She was being a **liar!** In the end, they either hated or pretended to like him - they either hated or **lied.**

Kumugai Arashi was the same. Naruto wouldn't get hurt again.

In the end, he was alone.

And that's how it would always be.

* * *

**"Y-You can call me Ara-kun...if you want..."**

* * *

Iruka looked up at the remaining kids. They were waiting for their Jounin-sensei to come and take them away. Most of the kids were already gone, though. The only teams left were Team Four and Team Seven.

The air was filled with tension as no one said a word. Iruka looked at them more closely, trying to figure out what was wrong. Shouldn't they be chatting happily about finally becoming what they've yearned to be for years? What could possibly be keeping the mood down?

Asakura Ami looked extremely pissed, tapping impatiently on the wooden desk in front of her. Every once in a while she'd glower at her meek teammate, but other than that she just seemed irritated that her sensei wasn't there. Satoshi Toby looked uninterested beyond belief, mumbling under his breath. Every once in a while he'd give an irritated snort, probably because of his sensei's tardiness. And Kumugai Arashi just had his arms crossed in front of him, laying his head in them. He was probably sleeping.

He diverted his attention away from Team Four and to Team Seven. He ignored the fox brat and looked at Uchiha Sasuke. The kid was glaring at nothing in particular, eyes dark as usual. The girl, Haruno Sakura, was fidgeting silently in her seat...looking down and blushing madly. _Sasuke's probably disappointed about his team,_ Iruka concluded, understanding completely. _And Sakura must have definitely got her feelings hurt by the raven. _

His gaze went from the Uchiha to the Uzumaki...and it took a bit of force to stop his scowl. The blond boy just stared at him in that indifferent yet attentive way that made it look like he knew exactly what Iruka was thinking. It was a bit melancholic, but it annoyed Iruka all the same.

The fox brat shouldn't have passed; he _really_ shouldn't have been there. After Iruka failed him - which delighted the teacher immensely - something happened with Mizuki and Naruto and the Scroll of Sealing and some other details that he hadn't got full information of. To make a long story short, the Hokage personally made Naruto a Genin of Konohagakure and ordered him to be put on a team with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. And Mizuki was dead.

He wanted the damn brat to **fail! **He wanted him to **drop out forever** and **kill himself!** That beast inside of him killed both of Iruka's parents and _that damn twerp_ had the **gall** to walk around all depressed?! It **disgusted** the Chuunin teacher, and he would have _been_ murdered the blond demon if he wouldn't be killed afterwards.

"I-Iruka-sensei," Sakura squeaked, bringing the man out of his thoughts. "You look mad...are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek, but inwardly cursed himself. He couldn't let his inner emotions show like that. It wasn't befitting of a shinobi. "I was just wondering where your instructors are at. They're late."

"Sorry, sorry; I have a huge hangover and had to contemplate whether to come or not."

All eyes shot to the door, minus Arashi as his head was still down. A lady with vibrant orange hair and onyx eyes stood in the doorway, beer bottle in her hand. She wore the green Jounin flak jacket over her fishnet shirt, and wore dark blue shorts that stopped a little above the knees with white bandages covering up her legs.

She smirked in all her coolness, flipping her long orange hair out of her face. "Alright. I'm here for Squad Four."

**"YATTA!"** Toby cheered in glee, practically jumping up and sprinting towards his sensei. **"FINALLY!** _Something_ went my way today!"

"Dumb ass pervert." Ami deadpanned as she stood up and walked to her sensei and teammate. "Are you really a Jounin? You said you have a hangover, yet you're still drinking alcohol. Your hair color is _orange_, and you're late."

Before the Jounin could reply, Iruka began talking. "Yes, why are you late, Jounin-san?"

"I already told you, Chuunin-chan..."

Iruka twitched.

"...I had a good time at the bar last night, woke up in some guy's bed, head ached like Hell...and after a good long time of thinking, I decided that I'd come and pick up my sla- _Genin_." She took a swig of alcohol, exhaling tiredly when she finished.

Iruka sighed, beginning to pack up for the day. A lot of Jounin were insane...he was beginning to think it came with the job. Nonetheless, she had to be experienced to be trusted with a group of three...even though none were clan kids.

Speaking of a group of three...

"Ne, Sakura-chan. Can you wake Arashi-kun?" Iruka asked. The girl was sitting right beside the boy, and it was a little discouraging to see that none of his teammates bothered to wake him.

Sakura nodded and shook him awake, watching as he sat up and slowly looked around. His eyes settled on the orange haired Jounin and his two Genin teammates. Without a single word, he stood up and walked over towards his new team.

"Meh. The silent ones always grow up to be the hottest," the Jounin remarked, smirking perversely. Toby - obviously not liking that sentence - glared at his male teammate, while Ami just shook her head. Arashi continued to silently stand. "Anyway, we'll be going now. Bye, Chuunin-chan."

* * *

**"Y-You can call me Ara-kun...if you want..."**

* * *

"Alright. Etto...how do I start this..?" Team Four's Jounin Sensei scratched her messy orange hair, looking at the sky absently.

They were sitting in a clearing at Training Ground Four, a surplus of woods around them. A small lake was beside them, and three logs were stuck in the ground behind them. Toby stared in wonder at his attractive sensei, Ami continued to frown, and Arashi just stared silently.

"Let's start with some ground rules," the Jounin decided, looking back at her team. "Rule One: When I have a hangover, screaming is a no-no. I'll hurt you if you do. Rule Two: If you're going to kill each other, do it while I'm at least a hundred feet away. I will not be held responsible for any injuries - or deaths. Rule Three: Starting now, you're my slaves, so you do anything and everything I say with no questions asked. Any questions?"

Ami was the first to raise her hand. "If you have a hangover already, why are you still drinking?"

"It's best to drink alcohol while in a hangover, so your senses will be numbed. Therefore, your head won't hurt as much. I hope you use that knowledge to your benefit, Purple-chan."

She cringed at the nickname, but said nothing about it. "That's irresponsible."

The orange haired lady sighed. "Think of it like this. If I'm not as cranky as I could be, your chances of surviving your meeting with me is higher. Don't be such a rulebook, Purple-chan."

"Can you stop calling me that?"

"Anyway! Why don't we introduce ourselves?" She announced cheerfully, ignoring her female student. "Let's start with you, Spiky Ponytail-chan."

Toby blinked, almost blanching at the nickname, but simply shook his head. "What should I say?"

"Name. Likes. Dislikes. Hobbies. Dreams." She fell back and lied on the ground, yawning. "I honestly couldn't care less."

"Why don't you go first?" Toby prompted, using this as a chance to get to know her.

"Troublesome," the lady groaned, sitting back up and staring at them dully. "The name's Hijiri Haruhi. I like drinking, partying, men, and having sex." Toby was practically drooling by this point. Ami looked disgusted. "I dislike _bitches_, people who worship _rules_, people who think they're _better than me _and_ judge me_, and men who can **not** satisfy in bed. My hobbies are having sex, drinking, reading and watching porn...and playing pranks. My dream is to have sex with one hundred men!"

_...What a crazy slut, _Ami, Toby, and Arashi all thought together. Ami was _overly_ _disgusted_ by this point. Toby wasn't so sure he liked someone that obviously _got around._ And Arashi cursed himself for his terrible luck. Getting two unbearable teammates and a crazy slut for a sensei that could put Anko to shame? He wanted to jump in the lake and just **drown**.

"Saa, you all know about my sexy self." She grinned. "Spiky Ponytail-chan, you first."

"H-Hai." He nodded, gulping down his hesitant thoughts. "My name's Satoshi Toby. I like girls...reading manga...and relaxing at the hot springs. I dislike boys...stupid bitches...and nosy parents. My hobbies...well, reading manga and going to the hot springs. My dream...I don't really have one."

Haruhi smiled. "What a nice young man you are. Albeit boring as Hell. Next!"

Ami took this chance to speak. "My name is Asakura Ami-sama. I expect you all to refer to me as that, understood? I like Sasuke-kun, reading magazines, and hanging out with my friends. I dislike forehead-girl, Ino-pig, and now Arashi-"

"You will call me Kumugai-san," Arashi instantly remarked. Ami didn't even flinch, ignoring him.

"My hobbies are doing tea ceremonies, and my dream is to one day marry Sasuke-kun."

Haruhi smiled. "Has anyone ever told you you're a self-centered, conceited bitch?" Ami gaped while Toby nodded in approval. "I guess not. Well, you are, Purple-chan."

"H-H-Haruhi-sensei!" Ami shrieked, face red. "You can't say that to me!"

"I can, and I just did." She sniffed. "...Asakura...your parents are civilians, ne? That's good. They're no threat to me, so I can say whatever I want. Next!"

Arashi cleared his throat, still staring impassively. Almost melancholically. "My name's Kumugai Arashi. It doesn't matter, because we'll probably only know each other for a few more hours, but I'd like for you to call me Kumugai-san. I like reading books. I dislike stupid, self-centered, conceited girls. I dislike boys who aren't friendly with other boys because of the fact that they're boys. I **hate** my eyes. And I dislike realistically unrealistic stressful situations that keep you up at night. My hobbies include reading and practicing chakra control. My dream...i-is to fix..."

Arashi trailed off, tears in his eyes. The goggles hid them, as usual, but it didn't make him feel any less vulnerable. He **hated** this. He hated this world. He hated his teammates. He hated his sensei. He hated his _life_. He. _**Hated**_. This.

He wanted to be on Team Seven. He wanted to be with Naruto and Sakura and Sasuke. Why was he on Team Four? Why was he with Toby and Ami? Why was he in this world in the first place? Why couldn't he die in peace? Why did he have to come _here?_ Why didn't he have any friends? Why did everything seem so darker than in the anime? Why didn't he have any parents? Why? Why? Why..?

Why did Hinata have to kill herself? Why did Naruto have to be so antisocial? Why was he stuck in this situation? Why him? Why? Why? Could someone tell him why?!

He wanted to laugh. He wanted to have fun. He wanted all of these things that wouldn't happen. That _couldn't_ happen. And now...and now he was going to be sent back to the academy - or be put out of the program altogether. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair for him.

"...Etto...are you crying, kid?" Hijiri Haruhi asked, feeling uncomfortable. What was wrong with him? One minute he's all stoic, the next he's crying. Did she do something wrong? Is it about his dream?

Another thing that Haruhi liked, but would never admit to, was babies. She loved the little bundles of joy, and though she was constantly going out with random men, she yearned to have one.

So, seeing Arashi sitting there, head down, softly crying...it was like the kid shrunk down a few inches...like he minimized himself into a baby...

And, strangely, she wanted to hug him...

Ami scoffed. "You're such a bipolar crybaby, _Kumugai-baka._"

"_Shut the Hell up,_" Haruhi snapped, not even looking at the girl. She continued staring at Arashi...gazing at the way his hands curled into fists...peering into the boy's soul. Ami just huffed, turning away, while Toby looked really bored - _uninterested_.

Their sensei turned to look at Ami...and then at Toby, who blushed in response. _They don't care, _she concluded. _Their teammate's crying, and they don't care. At all. _

It was a very blunt, yet obvious observation...and all it did was make her frown. The rumors about the civilian children failing were true...they didn't know what it meant to be shinobi. _That's why_ the Hokage gave the clan kids to experienced and trustworthy Jounin...and gave the other kids to be failed by less experienced Jounin.

It was a shame, really...

Hijiri Haruhi cleared her throat, looking up to to sky with a lazy sigh. It really was a shame...

"Asakura Ami-sama," the orange haired lady called out, patronizingly. Her whole demeanor seemed to change from disappointed to bubbly in the blink of an eye. "Why did you decide to become a ninja?"

"What? What kind of question is that?" Ami asked, face red and arms crossed. Her sensei just _looked_ at her. "...W-Well...to impress Sasuke-kun, of course!"

"Ah! Very nice! Y'know, I only became a ninja because those ninja boys sure do grow up into fine men!" She sighed dreamily. "The first thing I wanted to do was to get in my two teammate's pants. They were put off at first - _boys..._ - but after a while we _finally_ did it!" She sniffed. "The best threeso-"

"That's **enough!**" Seriously, what was wrong with her?!

"Ahem. Gomene, Ami-sama," she apologized. "Anyway, what about you, Toby-kun?"

"A-Ah! Ano saa.." He was obviously surprised by the honorific. "I-I guess...well, to be honest, it's a real cool thing to put out when pickin' up girls, y'know?"

She nodded, smiling enigmatically. "Ain't that the truth." She turned to Arashi. Her eyes were simply _sparkling_ in enthusiasm. "And you, Kumugai-san?"

He was still looking to the ground, sniffing every now and then, but he visibly tensed when the question went to him. "...To f-fix...everything..."

Haruhi tilted her head, confused look plastered to her face. "To fix everything? What do you mean?"

He hesitated. She saw it. "...I...don't...I-I can't..."

She frowned, cheerfulness slowly draining from her body. "You're not going to tell me? I'll help you out a bit, Goggles-san - this is pretty important."

"It's **not!**" He shot back, before sinking back into his timid self. "...I...in the end...i-it won't m-matter..."

"Hmmm..." She nodded sagely, all signs of a happy person completely gone. Not because of the boy's answer, but because it was procedure. It was the _rules_.

It was over.

They lost.

"Saa, Ami-sama. It seems you won't be impressing Sasuke. Neither you, Toby-kun; you won't be impressing anyone." The words were said with the grimmest face the Jounin could muster. And for effect - just because she was a bit of a prankster - she leaked out a bit of killing intent. Toby and Ami both gaped in confusion and a bit of fear, while Arashi just sighed. "Gomenesai, Goggles-san. Maybe your answer could've prevented this? But, alas, you didn't want to tell me - so whatever you're trying to fix will sadly remain **broken**."

He cringed at that remark. Whatever it was he wanted to fix was important, Haruhi thought, because the boy actually _cringed_...

"Wh-What are you saying..?!" Asakura Ami demanded, fearing the answer. Satoshi Toby looked just as desperate. A small whimper escaped Kumugai Arashi's lips.

Hijiri Haruhi, in all her cruelness (and reluctance), smiled a feral smile. "Oh well. Whatever. Doesn't matter. Game over. You three **fail**."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Wow. So Toby and Ami are officially the worst teammates ever, right? They don't care at all for poor Arashi, and Ami seems to carru negative feelings towards him. A shame. Anyway, Iruka seems to differ a lot from canon...and with him not there, how did the scene with Naruto and Mizuki play out? You'll see soon enough. You'll also see why Team Four failed...I'll love to see your predictions, though. **

**And on that note, how do you all feel about Hijiri Haruhi? Love her? Hate her? I'm sorry for making such a crude character, but I'm too doped up on Anko, and I guess my subconscious made this out of her image. Whatever, though. I'm sure you all hate and love her equally! /shot**

* * *

**R.T.R (Reviewing The Reviewers)**

**DaOneInDaCorner: Ah! You came from Grey Eyes! I'm so glad! (*^****﹏****^*) It's good that you're liking Arashi so far, and I...don't think it'll be so hard writing this with Grey Eyes. To be honest, this is only one of three (four?) stories that I'M writing alongside Grey Eyes...but if shit hits the fan, just know I'm sticking with Grey Eyes all the way! Y(^_^)Y**

**DarkLord98: I'm glad you like it. And sure! Ask away! **

**Dark-Murcielago: Ah! This...is actually what I wanted to make Grey Eyes. Not this exact thing, but something close to it. I'm...pretty relieved that I didn't, because I don't think I would have gotten up to 100 reviewers if I did. Thanks for reading, and I'll definitely keep it up! I guess.**

**ssjzohan: I'm so very glad that you like this so far! And...about that...I dunno...this is technically an AU, so I can screw up anything I want by adding in anything I want...but I don't have plans for another OC at the moment. Sorry. BUT! When or if I do have plans for one, I'll contact you immediately, alright? **

**Guest: It's so surprising to know you guys already like it...and it's just the first chapter. That really makes me happy. Really, really happy. I'm glad you like it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too! **

**Giselle Satomi: Gah! Your...your compliments...it's just too much for me. I don't even think this chapter is...I don't think this'll be up to you expectations, Giselle-san. ::_:: Ah, and to answer your first question...we'll have to see, won't we? Personally, in all the other OC stories, it's like...there's no question at all if their OC will die or not. I know why - a dead OC isn't...nice. But still! I like the suspense that my OC might not make it to the 10th chapter. We'll see, though. Anyway, I'm overjoyed that you're liking this, and I hope this chapter didn't suck. (*^****﹏****^*)**

* * *

**Bye nii~ minna-san! I'm grateful for all the reviews, follows, favorites, and so forth! Thanks a lot, and I'll see you all next chapter! **


	3. Rules Are For Tools

**Muddied Orange**

_Chapter 3: Rules Are For Tools_

"Oh, well. Whatever. Doesn't matter." Hijiri Haruhi began, trying to take in their horrified faces while also trying to look apathetic. "You three **fail.**"

"You...fail what..?" Satoshi Toby choked out. That killer intent really freaked him out, as he never felt that before. It was nauseating...alarming...horrifying...

"Nothing important," she answered simply. "Just the test to become Genin of Konohagakure."

Asakura Ami's eyes widened wider than they already were. "What are you talking about..?" Her voice suddenly grew in anger, eyes narrowing. "We already took our test to become Genin - and we **passed**. Hence the ninja headbands on our foreheads. Stop playing around with us like this, baka-sensei!"

"**Why don't **_**you**_** stop playing around, Ami-bitch?**" Haruhi snapped, making the twelve year old flinch. "You play around way too much; you don't _deserve_ to be ninja!"

Kumugai Arashi held in a choked cry, looking down again. _I knew it...I knew it..!_

"The test started as soon as you three met me." She glared at Toby and Ami, leaking out more killer intent. Personally, Haruhi wanted Ami to burst into tears. "You two in particular disgust me. You walked right past your sleeping teammate when I came in, and even when it was obvious he wasn't coming, you two _still_ didn't even _attempt_ to wake him up."

They wanted to protest, to tell how much they didn't like/care about their meek teammate...but both were too scared.

"Earlier, he was crying, and you two did nothing to comfort him. Didn't even ask him what was wrong! Instead, Ami-_sama_, you decided that as a good opportunity to ridicule him. The _nerve_ of these hoes." Haruhi bristled. "Even before that, you dare say that you dislike him? I'd bet a whole month of no sex that he's done **nothing** wrong to you! You're self-centered, conceited, arrogant, egoistic - a real **bitch**. To be a kunoichi, you're going to have to care about more people than yourself. To be a kunoichi, you're going to have to aim for something a lot more than getting the attention of a boy. But don't worry about it. You aren't going to become a kunoichi, because you're not _worthy_ to become one."

Ami opened her mouth to protest...but the words wouldn't come out. This...was _so_ unfair. She betted Ino or Sakura had the same problem...yet, they probably wouldn't get called out on it like her. And now- _now_ she wasn't even going to become a kunoichi...and Sasuke would never marry her...

She quickly wiped her eyes of tears, and it took a bit of willpower for their sensei to not jump up in victory.

"..._And you,_" Haruhi growled, eyes moving to look at Toby. "have problems that you'll need a therapist to help you with - I bet money on it. The mere thought of what you said makes my hair stand in hatred. You don't like boys? Why?"

She lessened up on the killing intent so the boy could speak, because she _really_ wanted to hear this.

"I-I-I-I d-don't like b-boys because..." He trailed off. "...I'm n-not gay..?"

Haruhi snorted. "Do you have any friends that are boys?"

"N-No..."

"Why?"

"...'C-Cause I'm not g-gay-"

The Jounin swung her beer bottle as fast as she could and **slammed** it on the boy's head, the glass breaking into millions of pieces. He screamed in astonishment and pain before falling to the ground. Ami gasped in terror while Arashi jumped slightly. Haruhi snorted again, wanting to take out a kunai and torture the kid. Or maybe put him in a torture-based genjutsu.

...She held herself back.

"You still conscious, bastard?" She asked. He groaned in response. "Good. 'Cause I have words for ya. To start, you're a dumbass. To be gay is to be attracted to the same sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. To not make any guy friends because you're scared of being gay is so fucking stupid that it literally makes my bottom lip tremble. I'm constantly having sex, but I'd stop anything and everything to help my best friend. And guess what? She's a **girl!**

"To be a ninja, you're going to have to work with a lot of people - including your _male_ teammate. To decline a mission just because your partner is the same sex as you...that's something I'd kill you for. And don't even get me started on why you became a ninja. To impress those thirsty girls? I think not. And then you decide the second you see me to develop some sort of crush on me? I'm twice your age, you creep! You're not _worthy_ to become a ninja, either. I'd rather you stay out of my sight. **Forever**."

She turned her head to look at Arashi, and her whole demeanor seemed to change. It went from _pissed-the-fuck-off_ to just _irritated_ in a matter of seconds. Arashi had his goggles on his head, face in his hands, crying. He kept muttering "_I knew it. I knew it_" while desperately wiping away the tears, eyes shut closed.

When his sensei didn't say anything, he opened them for _half-of-a-second_ before squeezing them shut again, whimpering and crying more and more. It was just for an instant, but she saw it. _Red_. His eyes were a dark _red_.

She opened her mouth to speak, to ignore the fact that he reminded her of a precious baby, but the words died in her throat. After a while of coaching herself and masking her face, she found the right words to say.

"Arashi," she began gently, albeit face expertly made stoic. "...You...you're the only one I'd recommend to become a Genin. But...I won't. You obviously hate your teammates - I understand that. You probably even hate me. That...that's not okay, though. In the field, you need to have their backs. You won't be able to do that if you hate them, even if it's perfectly understandable. Also, you randomly start crying out of nowhere, and I'm pretty sure you won't give me an answer to what's wrong if I asked, right? And then...you won't tell me why you want to become a ninja..."

Haruhi shook her head, sighing. "I just think...you aren't ready to become a shinobi. My decision is to send you back to the academy for a year, maybe even get someone to talk to you about your problems." She turned to Ami and Toby, the latter just then getting up from the ground, head bleeding. "**My decision for you two is to be kicked out of the shinobi program altogether. You'll **_**never**_** become ninja.**"

"No!" Toby screamed in protest, while Ami was violently crying in her lap. "Y-You can't! I need to become a ninja! Really, I really, really do, Haruhi-sensei!"

"I can and I just did." The orange haired lady sniffed. "You told me why you wanted to become a ninja, and that was the stupidest reason I've ever heard. You _won't_ be a shinobi, and I'm _not_ your sensei." She stood up, dusting herself off. "Ami-sama, Toby-kun. Would you be so kind as to give me your ninja tools and headband? Arashi-kun, you can stop by the academy and give your things to Iruka. He'll also tell you your new schedule as an academy student again."

"Pl-Please, H-H-Haruhi-sen-"

"**I'm not your damn sensei!**" The Jounin snapped at the crying girl, making her cringe. "Didn't I say it clear enough?! **You failed my test**, therefore, you aren't ninja anymore!"

"But why?!" Ami pressed, hands clasped together. "We already took a test at the academy! Why are you giving us another one?! It's not...it's not fair!"

Haruhi seemed to contemplate her answer before sighing, looking away. Distaste was evident in her next words. "...Only nine out of twenty seven academy graduates are going to pass their Jounin's test. You guys are simply three of the eighteen that failed. I'm not the only one doing a test - _everyone_ is. I'm not being unfair - _everyone_ is. You three are just...unlucky."

"How do you know that only three teams are going to pass?" Arashi suddenly asked, goggles back on his face. His tone still held that helpless quivering, but his features were trying to refrain from showing emotion. It made Haruhi mentally wince. "How do you know that everyone won't pass? How do you know that everyone won't fail? You can't - you _can't_ know this without it actually happening first."

Arashi's eyes started to water again as reality finally hit. The answer was so obvious...but it was also so cruel that it was left un-thought of. Yet now..._now_..!

Hijiri Haruhi's face morphed into a grim smile. "It seems you hit the nail on the head, Arashi-kun."

Ami was confused. What were they talking about? Those numbers were obviously predictions, right? Their stupid sensei was just too dumb to say it...right? Toby was in a whole 'nother world, though, as his eyes were completely blank with a sullen look glued on his face. Negative energy seemed to swirl around him.

"..._That's_..!" Arashi was once again holding in a whimper, tears having been left his eyes. It was just so...it was just so cruel and unfair and..._evil_.

Haruhi sighed. A long, tired sigh. She suddenly wished she had some beer right about then. "I'm not supposed to be telling you guys this. It's the _rules_. Yet, failing you three was also a rule...so I've followed enough rules today, don'tcha think?" She chuckled...but no humor nor emotion was put into the small laugh. "Quick question. How many clan kids do you think was in your graduating class?"

"Clan kids?"

"Kids in ninja families. Uchiha, Yamamaka, Inuzuka..."

"Oh! Well," Ami looked sideways, brain working at full speed. This seemed like a chance to become a ninja after all...so she had to work her greatest at this. "There's Sasuke-kun...Kiba...Shino...uhhh..."

"Ino-chan," Toby added, eyes still blank and voice a dull monotone.

"Shikamaru-san...Ch-Chouji-san..." Arashi wanted to say Naruto's name, but refrained himself. "...I-I think that's all..."

Haruhi nodded. "Right. All of the kids you mentioned are from ninja families. All of the rest, including you three, are lowly civilian kids trying to become ninja. So, do you notice how the clan kids are mainly grouped together?"

Ami gasped. "That's right! Shikamaru, Ino-pig, and Chouji are all in the same group! And Kiba and Shino are in the same group, too!" A flaw came in her mind. "Wait. But, Sasuke-kun..."

"Is in a group with the boy that has the lowest grades - Uzumaki Naruto - and the girl with the highest grades - Haruno Sakura. Uchiha Sasuke had the highest grade overall, therefore he's with them so things balance out. That's tradition," the Jounin explained. "And I predict Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino would have been on a team with another clan kid, Hyuuga Hinata, if she hadn't committed suicide. She was in your class, correct?"

Both Ami and Toby looked at Arashi, who stiffened tremendously. What happened a year ago was still fresh in their minds. The way Arashi started bawling at the news, and the way...he mouthed off to...

"As a replacement - one of you random civilian kids would have undoubtedly brought that team down - they added a samurai girl to your class. That was enough to replace the Hyuuga girl." The lady coughed, now looking away from the Genin-Rejects. "...Those three teams are the ones who will pass. Or rather, the team with the Uchiha is the only one with a chance of failing. Nonetheless, highly qualified Jounin were given to them because it'd be a real waste for them to fail or for them to pass and not be trained correctly."

"What about us?" Arashi asked in an angry whisper. "...Do they not believe in us..?"

"Nope," Haruhi answered bluntly. "They don't believe you civilian kids have what it takes. And from what I've seen, most of you don't. They don't hate you...they just don't want to have you all killed unnecessarily."

"_And they don't want to waste active Jounin,_" Arashi continued harshly, standing up. He was pissed. He was _sovery _**pissed**. "No matter what we did, you would've failed us anyway! We didn't stand a chance!" He clenched his fist, looking to the ground. "Do you understand how much that hurts..?! _Six years_ of doing my hardest, and in the end I didn't even have a chance! It was all for **nothing!** All two thousand, one hundred and ninety one days of _**bullshit!**_

"You know," he continued, voice softening. "There are ninja who _aren't_ in ninja families. Ninja that _can't_ use Ninjutsu, ninja that only have _one eye_, ninja that sacrifice everything for this _damn_ village who _aren't_ in ninja clans!"

"Don't yell at me, Goggles!" Haruhi retorted, nose flaring. "I know - I _understand_ what you mean! You should tell that to Hokage-sama - not me!"

"But you were going to simply fail us and we would have never known! What? Was I going to have to go through this prejudice next year? Or the year after that? Just because I don't have a ninja family or a family at all?!"

Haruhi flinched, looking away from the boy and at the other two. Horrified and abandoned looks were on their faces - the mere prospect that the odds were completely against them mind boggling. And their sensei could tell that it truly hurt them - deep, deep inside.

"It's...the rules."

"But you don't like rules, remember?" Ami cried out. "So why are you doing this? You already broke the rules when you told us, so what's one more rule to break?"

"I...I can't-"

Suddenly, Toby bowed his head to the ground, voice sad and pleading. "_Please_, Haruhi-sensei..! I-I promise...I'll change...I'll do better...I'll...I'll..!"

The look in his eyes. _Failure_. The look in her eyes. _Astonishment_.

"..._Stop it_!"

...for some reason, it made her heart ache...

"Please, Haruhi-sensei! Please pass us! I-I'll be...I'll be nicer! I won't be obnoxious anymore, sensei!"

"Haruhi-sensei, I'm begging you! Please! _Please!"_

The Jounin wanted to grin evilly. She wanted to tell them that they were simply unlucky and incompetent, and that she was doing them a favor. She _wanted_ to walk away and leave them heartbroken and disconcerted on the ground. She _wanted_ to go to a bar, get drunk, and wake up in some random guy's bed.

...Yet...

Arashi was staring at her, trembling. He sniffed. Once. Twice. And then, as if to taunt her weak side, his legs gave way under him and he fell on his knees. Goggles pushed up, he rested his face in his hands and began to sob.

A replay started in the sensei's mind. His red eyes. His crimson red eyes. So many emotions lied in those eyes...so much sadness...hopelessness..._hate_...so much anger and _hate_...

It scared the Jounin, yet, it saddened her. Unlike a baby, the kid must've went through so much to get where he was now...he must've wanted to do so much as a ninja...something _good_. **To fix something.** But now, he wouldn't be able to. Because of the Hokage. Because he _judged them._ Because of her. Because of the _rules_.

"Hijiri-sensei," Kumugai Arashi mumbled, looking up. Red eyes met onyx ones. And they didn't look away. "...Are you really going to send me back to the academy..? Are you really going to take them out of the program..? Are you...are you really going to do this to us, when we could do good for this village - for this world?"

...Why couldn't Hijiri Haruhi say '_yes?_'

* * *

**"**_**Six years**_** of doing my hardest, and in the end I didn't even have a chance!"**

* * *

Kumugai Arashi walked through the village streets with a thoughtful expression on his face. The sun was starting to set. Villagers and shop keepers talked happily to each other, and kids ran and played without a care in the world. Overall, it was peaceful, and Arashi looked just as content.

Apparently, though, looks weren't everything.

The Hokage _looked_ to be a caring, grandfatherly man that treated everyone fairly. _Yet_, he overlooked the civilian kids completely and set up a horrible scheme to make them all fail. And the worst part was that _he thought he was doing the right thing!_

_It all makes sense, though_, Arashi thought to himself, frowning. _There is no way that eighteen academy graduates can be so incompetent that they all fail their Jounin's test. There was _obviously_ something wrong with that. Either Iruka-sensei had taught them very poorly, or the Jounin in charge of them didn't test them fairly. _

_But, _Arashi continued his inner rant. _To think that it was all Hokage-sama's fault. To think he thought us all so incompetent that he ordered the Jounin to fail us - no matter what we did. Just to not waste _precious_ Jounin on _us_. _

His thoughts drifted to the sweet, kind Kyoko...but he swiftly shook his head. She'd fail, even if she wasn't supposed to...and he couldn't do anything about it - about any of his former classmates. It frustrated him. His image of the Hokage severely worsened, too, because it wasn't fair to judge civilian kids and compare them to clan kids. It just wasn't fair.

_And the only reason I even passed was because I got lucky with my sensei...in a way,_ Arashi concluded. _The rule was to fail us regardless of what we do. She hates rules. The Hokage judged us because we were civilian kids trying to become ninja - because we couldn't even hold a flame to the skill the clan kids possess. She hates being judged. _

There was something wrong with that, though, Arashi thought. If Haruhi was a Jounin sensei in canon, then why didn't one of the regular teams in canon pass? Did Arashi influence things in a way he hadn't even thought of? Was just being there enough?

Thinking about it gave him a headache.

Nonetheless, he somehow fought through prejudice and "passed," and he learned a bit from the experience.

Looks aren't everything - the Hokage was a perfect example of this - and he needed to become stronger. The strong ones, the ones with power, were the ones that didn't have the odds unfairly against them. They didn't have the Hokage conspiring against them. And also, with power, he'd be able to survive what's bound to come. And maybe, if he was strong enough, he'd be able to save other people, too.

"Now that I've become an official shinobi," the boy mumbled to himself. "My first goal is successfully completed. Now...for my second goal..."

To survive Sunagakure and Otogakure's invasion of Konoha. That was the first real problem that was bound to arise - and though he originally wanted to save The Third somehow, he didn't know how he could do something as heroic and dangerous as that, and the idea seemed less appealing considering that he didn't even deem the poor kid worthy enough to become a shinobi.

Nonetheless, that was the first obstacle, and he had to be strong enough to overcome it. The Chuunin Exams, however, wasn't an obstacle at all, as he **refused** to partake in something like that. Too risky. Being forced into a forest with dangerous ninja _ladders_ above his level, all of them trying to kill him...was just _way_ too risky. He wanted to live - no matter the cost - and going in that forest was plain suicide.

"Okay. My goal is to survive _that_," Arashi mumbled enigmatically, because he could never be too sure someone was listening in on him. As an extra precaution, he even spoke in English, a language no one in the Naruto-verse understood, thankfully. "How am I going to get strong enough, though?"

His Taijutsu was average; he memorized and could replicate the academy-taught fighting style perfectly, but lacked the speed and power to do anything more than annoy. He only knew the Jutsu taught in the academy, but could do them all perfectly, if that helped any. He doubted he could hit a ninja with a thrown kunai or shuriken, unless literally given a few minutes to aim properly...which he wouldn't get in a real fight.

The only things Arashi prouded himself in was his almost perfect chakra control - it was like controlling water with your mind - and knowledge. He could make a plan for almost any situation and even think up great plans on the spot - not as good as Shikamaru, but better than most. He also could memorize a lot better than most, he supposed, but that was probably because his brain was technically more mature than all the kids his age.

But, what could he do with great chakra and a good brain? Learn new Ninjutsu? He didn't know how much chakra he had; he didn't even know his elemental affinity. And flashy Jutsu wasn't what decided a good ninja.

What could he do..?

Suddenly, because he was deep in thought, he didn't realize the shinobi standing in front of him. With a _thud_, he walked right into the older ninja and fell on his butt, wincing slightly.

"G-Gomenesai," Arashi apologized, looking up at the guy he bumped into.

A pale young man - probably 19 or 20 - smiled down at the fallen boy, who's breath hitched when their eyes met. The older ninja had onyx eyes and ash-grey hair, which was kept in a ponytail that extended to his upper back, and his bangs framing both sides of his face. He wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar, a white under-shirt, dark purple fingerless gloves with armoured plates on the back of the hand, a white cloth waistband worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and a shuriken holster on his right leg. The blue Konoha headband on his forehead shined in the glare, as did the black-rimmed glasses on his face.

Arashi's eyes widened as he recognized _who this person was!_

But **wait!** Even though he wanted to scream in terror, even though he wanted to run away in horror, even though he wanted to yell out "_EVIL_" and "_TRAITOR_" - he didn't. His brain fully stopped...before starting again at a faster speed.

This person - he didn't know why he was even thinking this - could _help_ Arashi. This person was strong - Arashi knew that - and this person was undoubtedly the best at staying alive and overcoming odds. And...and if he wanted to survive, he needed _someone!_ Haruhi would probably be as lazy a teacher as Kakashi was, and he'd undoubtedly die if he relied fully on her. He...he needed someone else...he needed to _use_ someone...

And, know that he's thinking about it...he couldn't have found a better teacher at this point. With Arashi's knowledge and perfect chakra control, he _really_ couldn't have found someone better. Actually, if all went by well, he'd be able to survive _and_ save others! A real bonus!

But...could Arashi really go through with this? Could he act friendly with the enemy to get what he needed? Could Kumugai Arashi deceive the deceiver?

"Are you alright?" Yakushi Kabuto asked, holding out a helping hand. The meek boy refrained himself from smirking and cowering at the same time.

"I-I'm fine," he answered, taking Kabuto's hand and nervously diverting eye contact. _If things work out...I'll be fine..._

* * *

**"**_**Six years**_** of doing my hardest, and in the end I didn't even have a chance!" **

* * *

Satoshi Toby quietly walked through the front door of his house, nervously looking around when inside. He didn't hear any noise. Maybe today he'd get a br-

"Ah. Toby-kun, you're home."

_...Not today_, he sighed. He almost thought he could get through the day without any conflicts. He should've known better.

"Y-Yeah." Toby nodded, thinking of the many ways this could all turn out.

None of them ended good.

"You're home late, though," his father stated, smiling good-naturedly. "Something happen?"

_It's none of your business! _The Genin mentally spat, but smiled warily despite his inner emotions. "A-Ah...I-I...our sensei...sh-she came late and...we had to talk..."

"**YOU'RE LYING TO ME!**" His father boomed, face forming into a nasty snarl. Toby winced at the sheer volume of his voice. "**WHY IS YOUR HEAD BANDAGED?!**"

_Because my sensei hit me in the head with a beer bottle! _Toby wanted to scream, but just gulped. "Tr-Training accident."

"**LIAR! YOU'RE **_**LYING**_** TO ME!**" The man clenched his fist and punched his son straight in the nose, sending him flying into a a wall. Toby gasped in pain, not surprise. He knew this was going to happen sooner or later. "**WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO LIE TO ME, YOU USELESS BOY?!**"

"I-I'm not...lying, tou-san!" The boy choked out, covering his bleeding nose. Tears leaked out of his eyes, dropping at the same pace of his blood.

"**SHUT UP! YOU HATE ME! YOU'RE A HATING, NO-GOOD LIAR!**" Toby's father screamed in fury as he kicked the younger boy straight at his ribcage, making him cough up spit and something red that seemed horrifyingly close to _blood_.

"T-Tou-san...!"

"Don't be late again," the man grumbled, before walking away and upstairs. "Useless son."

Satoshi Toby just stayed on the floor for a while, staring melancholically at the red blood on his hands. The pain in his chest from being kicked ached on, and his nose continued to bleed. He was sadly use to this treatment, however; it was nothing new.

"I _do_ hate you." The new Genin's voice held undying malice, and his eyes darkened and narrowed into slits. "...But don't you worry, tou-san. I'm...a ninja now..."

A threatening leer found it's way on Satoshi Toby's face. _And I'm going to get the power necessary to _**kill**_ you! _

* * *

**"**_**Six years**_** of doing my hardest, and in the end I didn't even have a chance!" **

* * *

Asakura Ami walked in her house, eyes puffy and makeup smeared - the result of crying earlier. Unfortunately for her, her mother walked out of the kitchen to greet her daughter...and saw the bad state she was in.

"A-Ami!" She screeched, dropping the plate in her hand on the cold hardwood floor. "What happened? Why were you crying? What's wrong?"

Ami looked up at her mother and gave a weak smile, wiping her eyes before more tears came out. How could she tell her mother that the Hokage set up a horrible plot against her? How could she tell her mother that she was technically a kunoichi now, but shouldn't be? How could she tell her mother that her new sensei was a drunk slut that called her so many mean words?

She couldn't tell her. Her mother wouldn't believe something like the Hokage conspiring against the civilians. No one would. And if her mother knew of her sensei's harsh ways...she'd be forced to quit the ninja business in a heartbeat. And if that happened, then she'd never get a chance to impress Sasuke.

For the first time in Asakura Ami's life...she was deeply troubled. The odds weren't in her favor - they were completely against her. And...and it scared her.

The new Genin's mother shook her child desperately. "Ami?! Asakura Ami, tell me what's wrong right this instance!"

The purple haired girl blinked out of her thoughts and looked up. With as much force as she could muster, she smiled at her mother.

"I'm fine, kaa-san," the girl lied straight through her teeth. "I...I'm just so happy. I'm finally a kunoichi of Konoha!" It took a lot of willpower to sound as cheerful and happy as she did, and if she said so herself, she did a perfect job.

Her mother gave a small smile, hugging her daughter. "You know I'm worried about you being a ninja," she reminded. "But as long as _you're_ happy, _I'm_ happy."

_We're a bunch of unhappy ladies, then, _Asakura Ami thought bitterly, before hugging her mother back and flashing another fake smile.

* * *

**"**_**Six years**_** of doing my hardest, and in the end I didn't even have a chance!" **

* * *

"You did _WHAT?!_ _YOU PASSED THEM?!"_

"Hai..."

"Are you insane?! They must've all had a kekkei genkei or something, right? They must've been impersonating as Genin, but are actually Kage level, right?!"

"...Nah, I don't think so..."

Mitarashi Anko gave her best friend, Hijiri Hitomi, an incredulous look. The latter was staring bitterly at the cup of alcohol in front of her, hands clenched. They were - unsurprisingly - sitting at a table in the Hidden Leaf Bar, yet Anko had a dango stick in her mouth.

"So...you disobeyed the old man's orders and passed a group of civilian brats, am I right?" Anko asked. Haruhi nodded, making the Special Jounin sigh. "You gotta be kidding me... Why?"

"...I...don't really know," the Jounin answered, shaking her head. "I know that I should've failed them - no matter how perfect they were - and my heart was completely set on failing them and laughing evilly at their disbelieving faces. But..."

"But they were so perfect that you really thought they were capable of being shinobi?"

"No. Not even close," Haruhi mumbled. "They were **horrible**. Two of them pissed me off so bad that I had the girl crying and I smashed the boy in the head with my beer bottle."

Anko busted out laughing at that. "Oh _God_, girl! I just _wish_ I was there to hear the things you called that girl! I'm sure she's traumatized right now - I _bet_ she is!" She laughed some more, banging her fists on the table. "And you really hit a boy in the head with your bottle?! I see _why_ you passed them! You would've gotten some lawsuits if you didn't, girl! Ahahahaha!"

"Chill, girl. That's not it." The new sensei grabbed her cup and drowned the beer, sighing in contentment after she finished. "...I actually did fail them...but they were so persistent on asking _why this_ and _why that_...I might've let something slip."

The purple haired Special Jounin gasped. "You told them about the old man's plan?"

"One of the boys - the only one I can stand - actually figured it out on his own. After questioning me about it, I just clarified and...well...they were looking so _heartbroken!" _

_"You told them!"_

"Okay?! So what if I did?!" Haruhi snapped, slamming the glass cup on the table. "Those kids - no matter how utterly terrible they may be - deserve at least a single chance! It's not fair to judge all of them the same, Anko, and you know I hate people who judge."

Anko sighed. "Man, Haruhi. You really screwed up this time... Is that the only reason you passed them? Because they looked _sad?"_

Haruhi shook her head. "No...the boy...Kumugai Arashi...he's so delicate and shy...I...he reminded me of a baby, Anko, and you know I love babies. The way he cried...his eyes..."

She trailed off, looking away.

Mitarashi Anko sighed again. "...You know you're going to have to persuade the old man-"

"_I know_," Hijiri Haruhi interrupted, closing her eyes. "I know, damn it."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

** I'm so very sorry everyone. With a new school project every other day, the writing contest at my school, and just overall drama it was pretty hard to update. Hopefully my schedule gets fixed out, because I hate not uploading anything for more than two weeks. Thanks to everyone that understands. **

**Thi**

**s is a relatively short chapter. And...I just don't like. The ending, especially. I feel I could've added something else...y'know? I don't know. /shot**

**Anyway, Team Four is officially...a Genin Squad! Technically. If the Hokage allows it. And speaking of him, he's NOT evil. I just can NOT torture Arashi by making the Hokage evil, and I would've said something like that sooner. He's not evil. **

**For those of you who don't understand the situation revolving the civilian kids, let me explain. The Hokage told the Jounin under Teams 1-6 to fail them - no matter what. Why? Because of the simple fact that they are not in ninja families and therefore aren't as strong as the kids with ninja families. The Hokage isn't doing this to hurt them; he's doing it so they don't die on any outside missions. He doesn't believe they have what it takes to be ninja - and can you blame him? Almost every single girl in their class is infatuated with Sasuke and constantly fight over who sits by him! It's ridiculous! Anyway, he really just wants them to take another year at the academy so they don't have any distractions and can actually LEARN. However, if a Jounin deems them unable to learn, they can take the kids out of the program forever. **

**The bad part in that is that he's painting them all with the same brush. He's saying "every single civilian kid isn't ready" when that's far from the truth. In all honesty, Sakura's just lucky she scored the highest in the writing tests, or she would have suffered the same fate. And just see how useless Sakura was compared to everyone else? That's how most of the civilian kids were at that point, so having a team full of Sakuras is just a waste of active Jounin. I hope you all understand now.**

**Oh! And now you all understand why Toby desperately wants to become a ninja. To kill his old man that abuses him. I just come up with the best stuff, ne? :3**

**Hmm...Arashi just met Kabuto and is planning on using him, it seems. That probably won't go as smoothly as it should, but meh. This story mainly writes itself. I'm just the one typing. :3**

**Anyway, this is a long Author's Notes, so I'm ending it here. If you have any questions, be sure to leave a review or pm me. Bye nii~**

* * *

**R.T.R**

**DaOneInDaCorner: Yes, Arashi practically defines me...in a lot of ways. A lot more than Jalen in Grey Eyes, actually. Shishishi~ O-Of course I have it covered! I-I can do this, easy! **

**DarkLord98: Th-The Zero Tails? Why have I never heard of that before..? I feel dumb now. It must be something far up in the manga, I guess. And a summoning contract seems like a nice thing to have...so I'll definitely think about both of your suggestions (after I look up what the Zero Tails is). And he's a ninja now! YAY! So...let's see how he affects the timeline...ne? All the things he can affect with Naruto being moody and quiet and Hinata being dead. :|**

**Kage Kurai: Dark yet realistic...heh. *Smirks* I like that. AND HIS TEAM SOMEHOW PASSED! YAY! His teammates, though...yeah, I hated writing them. They irked me so much that I just had to have Haruhi admit some JUSTICE on them. Wait. Sakura? … Oh my god, Ami and Toby must be killed. And now. Ahem. Anyway, I'm happy that you like this story, Kurai-chan, and I hope you continue liking it!**

**Cardex-san: Yes, I love making things realistic...and even though I sorta torture my main characters...I'll give them a tasty snack once in a while! AND YAY! ANOTHER GREY EYES FAN! YOSH!**

**SaiSymbolic: H-Here! Take my update and love it! /shot I'm actually surprised that I'm the only one who thought of something like this. It's pretty...nice to be the first to do something. I feel good. And it is unfortunate that Hinata had to die...and I hate myself for it...but...that's just how the cookie crumbles. And Haruhi is steadily becoming one of my favorite characters! I mean, anyone who can tell off Ami like that and hit Toby in the head with a beer bottle deserves to be loved! And she's not a masochist. That's one thing that separates her and Anko, at least. :3 I'm glad you like this and I hope you like this chapter, too! **

**ssjzohan: Tsk tsk tsk. Sadly no...things just always find their way in Arashi's way. :(**

**Kit-kat: Arashi-kun...let's just pray for him, alright? His main goal right now is to stay alive, so he'll be extra, extra cautious. Let's just hope Kabuto doesn't find out that Arashi knows he's a spy… And Team Four passed, thankfully! Let's just hope all bodes well in their future…**

* * *

**OKAY EVERYONE! PLEASE FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW! I'll see you all next chapter!**

**Bye nii~**


	4. Shinobi Life

**Muddied ****Orange**

_Chapter 4: Shinobi Life_

Kumugai Arashi woke up the next day a lot earlier than he was supposed to.

His sensei, Hijiri Haruhi, told them all to be at the Mission Room in the Hokage's Tower at 12:00 noon. He was already up and moving at 10:00 AM, leaving the orphanage without breakfast at 10:30 AM. He had something to do before going to meet the questionable Hokage.

He wanted - _needed_ to go to Training Field Seven and warn Team Seven about their test. _That_ was his first mission, as far as he was concerned.

He wanted to survive more than anything, that was true, but he needed to make sure that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura passed. Too many unexpected problems have already came and went, and he'd be **damned** if he was going to let the whole anime destroy itself just because Naruto was different.

Showing the Chuunin guarding the village doors his ninja headband and giving his name, he waited for approval before walking out and on his way to the training grounds.

Of course, Kakashi was predicted to get there at around eleven o'clock, so he had more than enough time to give Naruto and his team a heads-up on what the test would be about. If they'd listen, however, was another problem.

Walking the small trail, he smiled when he saw Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura standing in the middle of the training field. With no Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

Now was his he would take it.

...

...

...

What would he say?

_'Oh, I just came here to warn you three of the test your sensei is about to give you. Yes, I knew exactly where to find you three, and yes, I know all about the test and it's trick. Don't ask how, though, because I can't tell you.'_

That would be _ridiculous!_ It'd be like knocking himself out and sending himself to Morino Ibiki's interrogation room with a pretty little note explaining the situation. And if he didn't do it himself, Kakashi sure would! The thought that the Jounin was most likely spying on the Genin didn't even cross Arashi's mind before.

Now it did. And it scared him.

Could he go through with it? Could he go and warn the three with the risk of Kakashi sitting in the trees spying on him? Could he risk his own life to save theirs..?

The answer was _'no,'_ as much as it disgusted him. He was a coward and would stay a coward 'till his death, which wouldn't be long now considering he wouldn't warn them about the test so they'd most likely fail.

He was just about to turn around and get as far away as possible from them...when a female's voice pierced through the silence.

"Arashi!" Sakura called out. The goggles-wearing boy had the sudden urge to bite his own tongue off. He was _so_ screwed. "What are you doing here..?" The girl continued. "Did your sensei tell you to come here, too?"

"N-N-No." Arashi's mind was spinning out of control again. _Think fast. Don't look her in the eyes._

Sakura tilted her head. She didn't know why she called the boy over when she saw him. Probably because she just needed someone to talk to. Her sensei was _hours_ late, Naruto would hardly say a word to her, and Sasuke only responded with grunts. Seeing someone else - even if it was a boy she never talked to and only memorized his first name by Iruka telling her to wake him up the day before - was like finding gold.

_But it was fake gold,_ Sakura grumbled in her mind, because the boy she was talking to was terribly shy and could hardly hold a conversation with anyone.

"Then what are you here for?" The pink haired kunoichi asked anyway, because she still wanted to talk to _somebody_.

_Think fast! Think fast! _Arashi chuckled, albeit wanting to cry more than laugh. "I-I thought...th-that since I'm a n-ninja now... I sh-should walk around a b-bit m-m-more..."

The girl was confused. "Huh?"

_Think fast! Don't look her in the eye! Think fast! _The boy was trembling by the time he got the words out: "I...I...thought I would...take m-m-morning walks...here..."

She slowly nodded, understanding. He was overly shy and nervous, she thought, but he didn't seem like a bad person. Nor was he annoying. She'd rather talk to him than nobody at all for _who-knows-how-many-more_ hours.

"Well, it must be pretty boring walking alone... I know!" She smiled. "Why don't you come stand and talk with us? You could keep us company while we wait for our **late ass sensei.**" Her voice changed at the end from nice and sweet to dark and threatening.

Arashi, still not looking her in the eyes, quickly shook his head. He did _not_ have the willpower to just stand and make small talk with them. He'd faint in a heartbeat!

"I-I-I don't think that's a g-good idea, Sakura-san!"

"Don't be silly. It's not like none of us dislikes you!" She motioned towards her two mute teammates.

Sasuke was simply looking away from them, not deeming Arashi worth his attention. Or anyone, for that matter. Naruto was quietly staring at the meek boy, face formed in a melancholic yet attentive way. Like he was sad about something, trying to hide his sadness, while also knowing exactly what the other person was thinking.

Arashi didn't like that. He didn't want Naruto - or _anyone_ - to know what was going on in his mind.

Avoiding Naruto's knowing eyes like the plague, he talked quietly with Sakura, who was hell-bent on keeping him there and using her outside voice.

"Saa, Arashi. I kinda forgot and all, but who's on your team?"

"A-Ami and Toby..."

"Ami-baka? Bleck. I feel sorry for you, Arashi. That girl can be a real pain, y'know? I swear she was giving me the evil eye when I got picked on a team with Sasuke-kun. She just doesn't know that Sasuke-kun will never, ever lower himself to people like her. Right?"

"H-Hai..."

"Wait. If your sensei didn't tell you to come here, shouldn't you be getting tested?"

"W-We were actually tested y-yesterday...a-and we passed..."

This at least made Sasuke turn to look at him and for Naruto to raise a brow.

"What? Really? Ne, what did you have to do to pass? Our sensei said these disturbing things like _'if you eat breakfast, you'll puke.'_ Did your sensei say something similar?"

"N-No," Arashi mumbled, looking to the ground. He was going to stop there. He was going to shake his head and let her ask another one of her endless questions. But, somehow, _something_ made him keep talking. "A-Actually, she talked to us for a bit...th-then we just p-passed."

He hated lying; he was a horrible liar. But, he couldn't tell them everything, even if he wanted to.

"Really? You're so lucky! Ino-pig's team did the exact same thing and they passed, too! I hope our sensei goes easy on us..."

"I-I think all of th-the tests are more less about t-teamwork," Arashi hinted ever-so discreetly. He knew that Kakashi was probably aiming his kunai at the boy's neck, but he couldn't stop. Or he'd never be able to start again. "Th-They put us in thr-three man squads because...w-we have to work well together to accomplish m-missions. I-If I hated my teammates...or if they h-hated me...then...I...don't think we would've passed..."

Sakura was nodding when he took his attention away from the ground. She looked very, very deep in thought.

"That...actually sounds plausible, Arashi!" She exclaimed happily. But then her happiness turned to disappointed confusion when she realized just exactly what her team was doing. "But, we aren't just sitting down and talking... We're doing survival training..."

Arashi bit his lip, eyes nonchalantly looking around. _I don't see him, _he concluded. _But that...doesn't mean he isn't here. And I'm really, really pushing it now..._

"We..." Arashi didn't know how to get the words out. "...We're friends, right, Sakura-san?"

Sakura tilted her head. Were they friends? Well, this was the longest conversation they've ever had, and she was just using him to satiate her boredom. Could they really be called friends? Friendly acquaintances at best...

She smiled. Well, he wasn't annoying nor weird, and he was a surprisingly good listener. Actually, he reminded her of her past self before meeting Ino... Being friends couldn't hurt, could it?

"Of course we're friends, Arashi!" She giggled. "And you don't have to be so formal. Just call me _'Sakura.'"_

Arashi met the civilian girl's eyes for a few moments before looking away again. A small smile settled on his face. "H-Hai, Sakura!"

Friends...with Haruno Sakura. He never thought he could make friends again after Hinata's death, especially with one of the Rookie Nine. He never thought he could laugh and smile with someone else again...and isn't that what friends did? Could he do that with Sakura, of all people?

He mentally shook his head. He didn't have time to think about that. He needed to give them the hint and leave. That's all.

"...I think you're supposed to work together during the survival training," Arashi whispered, talking quickly. "It's just my hypothesis, but a good one. No matter what, work together. _Ninja need to think beyond the normal."_ He inhaled...before exhaling.

He wasn't dead.

That meant Kakashi seriously wasn't there. That meant he had given the hint and could leave without suspicion. That meant Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would pass...and he could go on living without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He exhaled again before smiling. For the first time in a while, he felt really happy.

"Remember that, guys...a-and I think you all will p-pass with no problems," Arashi mumbled, knowing both Sasuke and Naruto heard the hint, too. He needed to leave, though. Quickly. "...I...I guess I'll be s-seeing you all..."

Sakura was the first to get over her shock of hearing the _urgency_ in the Genin's voice. She waved happily, anxiousness because of their sensei's test quickly disappearing.

"Sayonara, Arashi-kun!" Haruno Sakura chirped. "Arigato!"

Uchiha Sasuke snorted, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. Even he had to admit the idea was pretty smart, but what help could the dead last and the lovesick civilian girl give? Even Naruto doubted that they could effectively work together, but the blond Genin was mostly surprised that someone had actually wanted to help _him_, of all people.

Kumugai Arashi smiled brighter as he walked the path back to the orphanage. He could have _sworn_ he heard Uzumaki Naruto give a quiet _'thank you.'_

And that was progress.

* * *

**"We... We're friends, right, Sakura-san?"**

* * *

After heading back to the orphanage, eating his breakfast, and double-checking all of his gear, Kumugai Arashi headed straight for the Hokage's Tower.

It was 11:30 AM when he walked back out of the orphanage, and the walk to the Hokage's Tower was no more than ten minutes. He'd get there twenty minutes early, most likely getting there before the rest of his team.

Shopkeepers smiled at him as he walked. Children playfully ran past him. Shinobi jumped from house to house. Adults walked beside him, taking their morning strolls. Everything was peaceful in Konohagakure - from how the sun shone down to the peaceful breeze.

As the content Genin walked to the big red building, long ago memories began to replay in his mind; a striking contrast to the emotions he was now feeling...

_"Students. Please quiet down and bring your attention to the front." Umino Iruka stood in front of his class full of rising ninja. His eyes were moist, and his stern voice was clearly strained. A man with long dark hair wearing white robes stood beside him, face perfectly masked in a business-like way._

_When the class of students were finally quiet, Iruka began talking once again, this time his tone being much softer._

_"I...have some terrible news that I must relay to you all. It's about Hyuuga Hinata-chan." He gave a grim smile when the looks of confusion adorned the childrens' faces. "She...She passed away," he choked out. "She is no longer with us," he added for clarification. _

_The class was eerily silent as they tried to figure out what that meant. Passed away? No longer with us? Does that mean she's in another class? _

_Only a handful of students understood what that meant - their faces morphed into sadness and horror. One of those students, Kumugai Arashi, had fear mixed in with his. Iruka wondered why, but kept talking nonetheless. _

_"Honestly, Umino-san." The long haired man beside him sighed. He stared at the class filled with children with a stern look. "Hinata is dead."_

_There was a heartbeat of silence._

_Multiple girls began to cry, the boys gaping at the man in shock. There was no way that she could be dead! She looked fine yesterday! _

_"That's not true!" A nine year old Yamanaka Ino accused, standing up in her seat. She glared at the man. "Who even _are_ you?!"_

_"I am Hyuuga Hiashi; Hinata's father," The man answered without skipping a beat. He began walking around the classroom, staring at each kid individually with his pale eyes. Even more began to cry. "Hyuuga Hinata, my _daughter_, is dead. I thought each of you would have liked to know this information."_

_Hiashi stopped walking when he saw a brown haired boy looking at him in pure hatred and disgust. The boy, Kumugai Arashi, curled his hands into fists and growled, tears leaking out of his eyes. Hiashi raised a brow - why was the little civilian boy glaring at him like that?_

_"...Bastard..!"_

_"What?" The Hyuuga blinked. Did the boy just curse at him? _

_"How...did Hinata-san die..?" Arashi asked, voice menacingly low._

_"Now why should I tell you tha-"_

_"HOW DID HINATA-SAN DIE?!" Arashi demanded, jumping up from his seat and screaming at the man. "Tell me! Tell me, damn it!"_

_"Arashi-kun!" Iruka began to chastise, but was cut off by Hiashi's humorless chuckle._

_"Do you really want to know, boy?" He asked, leering at the civilian kid. Arashi just glared harder. Hiashi snorted. "My daughter committed suicide. She killed herself."_

_Another heartbeat of silence._

_The children in the room all gasped at the revelation. Uzumaki Naruto looked sad but strangely offended. Haruno Sakura was crying. Uchiha Sasuke looked uncaring and also a bit offended. Inuzuka Kiba looked shocked. Aburame Shino had his head down respectfully. Yamanaka Ino was on the verge of tears. Nara Shikamaru looked shocked and confused. Akimichi Chouji lost his appetite. Asakura Ami was confused, and Satoshi Toby looked sad._

_"Are you satisfied now, boy?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked, voice rising to intimidate the kid. "By the way, I demand an apology for the disrespect you gave me. You must not really know who I am and what I can d-"_

_"__**Fuck. You.**__" The brown haired academy student was pissed. He was so, so very pissed. His chest was literally constricting at the amount of __**rage**__ he was feeling. "__**I fucking hate you, you Hyuuga bastard! Go kill yourself!**__"_

_"Arashi!" Umino Iruka tried once again, even leaving off the honorific, but it was to no avail. Kumugai Arashi stormed out of the class, taking off his goggles and sobbing in his hands._

Walking in the Hokage's Tower and upstairs, a bitter smile formed on Arashi's face. He didn't know why that memory just came up, but now he regretted thinking about it, because his mood was finally looking good after _who-knows-how_ long. Now, though, it was spiraling downwards.

"Arashi-baka?"

The boy looked up to see Asakura Ami staring patronizingly at him, sitting with her legs crossed. He instantly stiffened...before he decided to just walk over and sit next her her. He didn't think that the purple haired kunoichi in his team would get there before him, though it wasn't like he was mad about it.

...She didn't have to call him that, though.

"It's Kumugai-san to you," he remarked quietly, not even putting any feeling into it.

First he was actually happy for once (saving Team Seven and making a friend and whatnot), then his terrible memories came back to haunt him, and now he had to deal with Ami's crap. So far, things were looking down.

"Whatever." She waved him off, scoffing. Arashi didn't even blink. "I thought sensei would've been here first, but then I realized how ridiculous that was. That idiotic drunk..."

Arashi didn't respond, so Ami continued.

"I just don't understand that lady! That drunk slut verbally abused me yesterday! And then she hit Toby in the head with a sake bottle - though, I couldn't care less for the pervert." She shook her head, scowling. "_Still_, though. I can't believe that lady's really a Jounin. If my rank as a Genin wasn't on the line, I'd totally report her. Wouldn't you?"

Arashi didn't respond, so Ami continued.

"Y'know, I only came here early because I wanted to make a good impression on Hokage-sama, but it's pointless if we can't even go in without our sensei. I swear, if she's late like yesterday, I'm going to tear my hair out. I'm a punctual person, and I hate people who aren't. Don't you understand, Arashi-baka?"

"It's Kumugai-san to you," Arashi remarked without missing a beat. _Y'know, for someone who claims to not like me, she's talking an awful lot. Sakura-sa- I mean Sakura did, too, though. It must be a girl thing._

"_Uuugh!_ I just hate this whole team, actually! Why couldn't I be put on Sasuke-kun's team?! That stupid Forehead-Girl got put with him while I just had to get the short end of the stick. Is that fair? I'd rather Sasuke-kun be put in a group with a bunch of boys than with _her_. I'm, however, in a team with a stupid pervert, a stuttering crybaby, and a drunk whore. Where did I go wrong?"

"Probably the same time you became such an obnoxious cunt," Satoshi Toby answered, walking over to them.

He came in a little while ago when Ami was ranting, so he heard everything and wasn't exactly pleased to hear the things she said about him. What was so great about that Uchiha guy anyway? For all Toby cared, he was just a universal cockblocker.

"Ugh. _You_," Ami said in disgust. "Now the raging perv is here. Y'know, being in the same room as you and Arashi-baka pisses me off."

The black haired Genin, ignoring his female teammate, hesitated a bit...before reluctantly sitting down beside Arashi, who didn't even bat an eye at Toby's arrival. If their sensei came and saw Toby refusing to sit by the other boy...he'd more than likely get another hit in the head.

They stayed silent for exactly ten minutes before their sensei, Hijiri Haruhi, walked up the stairs drunkenly, sake bottle clutched in her hand. She looked completely out of herself, staring at her three Genin in idiotic confusion.

"Purple-chan? Ponytail-chan?" She hiccuped. "Goggles-kun? What're you three doing here?"

"What do you mean _'what're we doing here?'_ You passed us and told us to come here," Ami explained, scowling at their sensei's poor form. "And for a Jounin," she had to add. "You're unusually unpunctual."

"Ah. _Aaahhh_." Haruhi looked to be remembering something. "So it wasn't a bad dream..."

"Of course not! Don't just wave us off as a dream, baka-sensei!" Ami was getting louder and louder each second. Her sensei just had the ability to piss her the hell off so easily.

Toby, however, was as quiet as a mouse; he didn't feel safe with his sensei holding a sake bottle. Not at all. And Arashi was, honestly, a bit amused at his sensei's antics...but she couldn't train them to protect themselves if she was always drunk. That was a bit unnerving.

"Well then. I should probably get a bit serious, huh?" Their sensei straightened up almost immediately after the words left her mouth, her eyes focusing and her stumbling stopping. She walked closer to her three Genin, bending down to their level.

The next words were said hardly above a whisper. They were said quickly, quietly, and she was done speaking almost as soon as she started.

_"I shouldn't have passed you three. We all know that. Hokage-sama is going to think I passed you out of pity, which I did, but if he knew that you'd all be sent back to the academy. To avoid that, you three must be on your best behavior. I want all of you smiling, not patronizingly, but kindly. You must be the most respectful people in there, and if he sees any discrepancies you'll fail. Understand?"_

Haruhi stood back up and smiled at her three students, taking in their surprised faces. She just loved shocking people - it was the hidden prankster in her, obviously. Now, though, she had to be completely serious if she wanted to keep her students - which she didn't, but something was holding her back from failing them.

Ami was the first to speak. "Come _on_, sensei. Do you really think that someone like me, the lovely Asakura Ami-sama, can't act? I'm perfect in _everything_ I do," she said arrogantly. Haruhi snorted.

"Are you good at cutting down trees? 'Cuz there's a huge one stuck in your ass."

"**HARUHI-SENSEI!**"

Unbeknownst to the fuming kunoichi, Toby was snickering beside her while Arashi had a small smile on his face. In all honesty, today was one of their better days. Arashi for obvious reasons and Toby because he managed to leave his house without any conflict with his father.

Haruhi opened the door to the mission room slowly, getting a kick out of her Genin's determined expressions. When the door was fully open, she walked straight in and smiled at the Hokage, her three students walking in behind her.

"Hokage-sama," Haruhi spoke politely. "Team Four is here."

"Ah. Team Four, is it?" The old man laughed. He was sitting behind a desk littered with paper and scrolls, and three other shinobi sat beside him on each side.

All of them instinctively narrowed their eyes at the group, but quickly masked their faces. Haruhi and Arashi saw it, though, while Ami and Toby just figured it to be a trick of the light.

"We came for our first mission, Hokage-sama," the Jounin explained. "I assure you, by the way, that these three are more than ready."

_Of course I am, _Ami grumbled in her mind, albeit still smiling.

_Ready to do a D-rank? _Toby thought sarcastically.

"Hmmm..." The old man averted his gaze from the orange haired Jounin to the three Genin. He was more than disappointed to see that Haruhi passed the three civilian kids, but he wouldn't show it. He wanted to think that the Jounin passed them because they were more than ready to become Genin...but he wasn't too sure.

He'd test them himself since Haruhi was too much of a rebel to follow his rules.

"Well, alright!" Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed heartily, shocking the whole of Team Four. He looked straight Arashi, eyes seeming to look through the boy's soul. "Well?" He asked. "Do you like your team, boy?"

_Do I like my team? _Arashi blinked. _Well, compared to all the other teams, I hate my team, but he doesn't expect me to say that, does he? _

"I...like my team," the Genin finally mumbled, looking to the floor. Seeing the Hokage all happy and smiling made him realize he didn't even have another year to live...

"Hmm." The Hokage nodded, turning to the other boy in the group. "What about you, boy?"

"I like my team," Toby answered immediately, smiling. In reality, he hated his team, but who would say that to the Hokage who most likely had a part in making it? An idiot.

"And now you, girl." The old man bore his gaze at Asakura Ami, smiling thinly. "How do you feel about your team?"

Ami was about to explode. She wanted to tell the Hokage all the faults in her team; all the abuse her sensei dished out and how useless and dumb her teammates were. She wanted to scream out loud that whoever picked out her team was a retarded idiot and, frankly, deserved to die.

Yet, Haruhi was leaking out a bit of killing intent behind her, and an idiot would know that a kunai was being pointed at the back. Speak her mind - and die. Lie to the strongest shinobi in this village, basically treason - and live.

"I...I love my team to the moon and back!" Ami gushed, forcing a blush on her face. "Arashi-kun is so very nice and caring, and Toby-kun is so funny and cute...I know they'd never let me get hurt!" She wanted to gag at her words, but continued. "Oh! And Haruhi-sensei is the best sensei a person could have! Even though she's a bit strict at times, I know she wants what's best for us, and can you really hate that? Overall, I love my team so, _sooo_ very much, Hokage-sama!"

A heartbeat of silence.

_Wow, _everyone in the room blinked while she smiled, giggling happily. Arashi was at a loss for words, while Toby was secretly a bit proud that she called him cute. Haruhi just twitched, sliding the kunai back in her sleeve.

_She is a good actor, _the Jounin thought. _But she's too good. Hokage-sama would never believe that-_

"That's good enough for me!" Hiruzen laughed again, causing the whole Team Four to twitch. "If you all believe that you're ready, then who am I to say you're not?"

Everyone twitched again. _The Hokage..? _

He still didn't believe they were ready, but he'd question Hijiri Haruhi later. Right now, though, he had a role to play...so he'd play it.

"**Team Four is officially a Genin squad of Konohagakure.** Today will be your first mission," he announced, watching with amused eyes the faces of happiness from both Ami and Toby. Arashi just had a small smile on his face. "First, I should probably explain missions to you all. No, you will not be going on any assassinations. No, you will not be taking on any missing-nin. All Genin start with the D-ranks to build a sense of responsibility and loyalty to their village."

He cleared out his throat, getting ready for a probably _long_ speech. And then, after explaining this to Team Four, he'd most likely have to explain it to the rest of the squads...

"D-ranks are usually assigned to Genin fresh from the Academy. They pose almost no risk to the ninja's life and usually consist of odd jobs like farming and babysitting work. The reward for a D-rank mission is between 5 thousand and 50 thousand ryo.

"C-ranks are usually assigned to more experienced Genin or Chuunin. They are missions anticipated to have some combat involved with the possibility of injury to the shinobi performing it. Examples are guarding people, background investigations, or capturing or suppressing wild animals. The reward for a C-rank mission is between 30 thousand and 100 thousand ryo.

"B-ranks are usually assigned to experienced Chuunin. They are missions anticipated to involve combat with other ninja. Examples are guarding people, espionage, or killing other ninja. The reward for a B-rank mission is between 150 thousand and 200 thousand ryo.

"A-ranks are usually assigned to Jounin, concerning, among other things, village-or state-level matters and trends. Examples are guarding VIPs or suppressing ninja forces. The reward for an A-rank mission is between 150 thousand and 1 million ryo.

"S-ranks are usually assigned to experienced Jounin and concern state-level confidential matters. Examples are assassinating VIPs, and transporting highly classified documents. The reward for an S-rank mission is more than 1 million ryo."

Sarutobi Hiruzen inhaled...before exhaling. That lecture most likely took a few years off of his life. He'd have to personally instruct Iruka to teach this to _all_ Academy students, or he'd gladly quit and give the job to _Danzo_ for all he cared.

The Hokage reached over and grabbed a green scroll labeled with a big brown _D_. He opened it and began to read.

"Squad Four's, led by Hijiri Haruhi, missions for today are the following: Pulling out Maria-san's weeds, painting Ryuzen-san's fence, and shopping in the civilian district for Rinton-san. You are to finish these missions by the end of the day."

"Really?!" Ami was ecstatic, stars shining in her eyes. She was really a kunoichi! And she was _already_ getting three missions off the bat! "The least we can get for today is, like, 15 thousand ryo! A-And the highest we can get 150 thousand ryo! That's like doing a C-rank, right, Hokage-sama?!"

"Indeed." He nodded. "But, those are more tedious than challenging, so you'll most likely just get 50 thousand for today."

Haruhi grinned at her three students. "Being a shinobi is hard work, but the pay is nothing to sniff at. C'mon, slaves, let's go do some D-ranks!"

**"HAI!" **Ami and Toby shouted, the former because of the money and the latter because he was _finally_ a ninja. Arashi simply smiled, the day looking bright once again.

Ami and Toby stormed out of the room, all thoughts of being respectful thrown out the window. Arashi and Haruhi were about to leave next, but the Hokage's voice rung out again.

"Haruhi, Arashi-kun, why don't you two stay for a bit longer?" He said pleasantly. Both Arashi and Haruhi stiffened, for two completely different reasons. "Arashi-kun, please close the door. Wouldn't want anybody listening in to our private business, now would we?"

As soon as the words left his lips, the aides around him quickly got out of their seats and walked out the room, Arashi reluctantly closing the door behind them.

He didn't know what to do. He was so, _sooo_ freaked out. Why did the Hokage want to talk to him? It was obvious why he wanted to speak with his sensei, but why _him?!_ His eyes almost rolled to the back of his head when the horrible thought settled in his mind.

_Does he...know..? _

That would be _impossible_, though! He had hardly spoken to the Hokage, much less given him a hint of his knowledge! There would be no way-

His heart stopped, sweat dripping down the side of his face.

Had...the Hokage spied on him..? The old man _did_ have a crystal orb that showed him any place in the village...right? And...and Arashi _had_ spoken in English once or twice to himself...and he probably _did_ do something _super_ suspicious once or twice, too...

Had he really slipped up? Was he about to be sent to Ibiki for information or - God forbid it... - _Anko?!_

The Hokage tilted his head. "Arashi-kun? You're trembling. Are you feeling alright? I promise that you don't need to be nervous about anything; you can relax around me."

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama..." There was no mistaking it. It was over for him. Maybe...he could finally straighten things out, though..? Even if it was involuntary, he _would_ be helping innocent people with his knowledge...

Hijiri Haruhi sighed, tapping her foot impatiently to the floor. She knew she was going to get scolded, but she didn't know why the meek boy of her squad was here. Especially with him having a mini panic attack...

"First and foremost, Arashi-kun, you need to get your own apartment. Now that you're a ninja, it is part of our shinobi housing plan for me to give you a free apartment, since you don't have anywhere else to go." The Hokage took out a small, silver key, tossing it at the boy. He caught it clumsily, almost dropping it twice. "I'll pay the rent for the first month, so you should start saving your money. After that, though, you're on your own...as cold as that sounds."

"...H-Hai...Hokage...sama..."

He...he wasn't found out? He...he really wasn't found out? He'd still be able to live in the ninja world..?

Was that good news...or bad?

"I will give your sensei the address to your new apartment. You two will go there after completing your missions." The Hokage smiled, softly waving the boy off. "You can go now, Arashi-kun. Your sensei and I have business we need to talk about right now…"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Arashi didn't think he had ever walked faster. As soon as the Hokage dismissed him, he practically sped out the room. _That was a close one, _he thought, sighing. _This is just a wake-up call. I need to be more careful..._

When the door finally shut close, a tense silence filled the room as the two ninja stared at each other. The Hokage's grandfatherly smile was replaced with a stern frown, while the Jounin sensei was smiling respectfully - yet patronizingly - at the older and more experienced shinobi.

Another minute passed by without a word being said.

"Hijiri-san," Hiruzen finally breathed, wondering how much willpower this lady had to be able to stand her own ground against the _Hokage_. "Why did you do it?"

"They deserve it," she answered immediately, yet the Hokage saw the glint of doubt in her eyes. She quickly added "they'll be the best Genin Squad of their year, I bet on it."

"I need more than false promises, Hijiri-san. You know that."

"Then how am I supposed to prove it when you keep _judging_ them?" She snapped, but quickly lowered her voice. "Gomenesai. Anyway, I know they will grow up to be great, powerful ninja...probably even more powerful than us two."

"It's really hard for a civilian child to be better than a child with ninja parents," Hiruzen responded slowly, knowing that the person he was talking to was also from a civilian upbringing and seldom held her tongue. He didn't want her snapping at him, and he certainly didn't want to...put her down. "I'm trying to give them a better chance in the future. All that's going to happen while keeping them Genin is their deaths, Hijiri-san, and I'm almost positive you don't want to be the ones to report it to their parents."

"They're not going to die," Haruhi mumbled, eyes a bit downcast. "I swear, Hokage-sama. At least give them a chance before putting them down. They're going to be great ninja...I can tell."

"How-?"

"I just _can!"_ Haruhi snapped again. "You can't hit them all with the same hammer! Because, whether you like it or not, you're going to bend a few different nails...and then what, Hokage-sama? I'm doing this for the betterment of the village, and...and honestly, I'm doing it for them..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, leaning back in his seat. Sometimes, times like these, you just can't say no. Even when he did have the power to, he just couldn't decline the Jounin's request - because he knew, deep down, she was right.

"...You have to train them perfectly, Haruhi," he mumbled, voice soft. Her mouth twitched up into a smile. "It doesn't matter how brutal. I want them to be the best of their year. Anything less than your best will have them kicked out of the shinobi program and you'll take full responsibility for their failure, do you understand?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," she drawled, a lazy smile on her face. "...Can I get the mission details and go now? I have a squad waiting for me, y'know?"

"Of course." He grabbed three different small scrolls and tossed them towards Haruhi, who easily caught them. Before she could leave, however, his voice became hard and stern once more. "Oh...it's just a feeling, but..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, the _Kami no Shinobi_ inside of him replacing the grandfatherly image.

"Watch out for Kumugai Arashi-kun. I just feel...a bit uneasy about him."

Hijiri Haruhi nodded stiffly, face stoic and serious. When the Hokage felt uneasy about someone, it usually meant they were hiding something that could harm or better the village. But, what could the crybaby Genin be hiding that's _that_ important?

"Hai...Hokage-sama."

* * *

**"We... We're friends, right, Sakura-san?"**

* * *

Hijiri Haruhi sighed, pocketing her _Icha Ichi Paradise: Shounen, Sweaty, and Hot Edition._ Usually, when she had free time, she'd pick up and read some porn, 'cuz why not? And while her three Genin were working their asses off, she had a _lot_ of free time.

Still, the thought of Kumugai Arashi hiding something...it really puzzled her. The boy doesn't look like he could lie to save his life.

Maybe she could use that to her advantage?

"Alright, slaves. That was your last mission." The Jounin jumped down from her comfy tree, landing in front of her three students gracefully. Asakura Ami was silently fuming, sweat running down the side of her face and slightly ruining a bit of her make-up. Satoshi Toby was also sweaty, shirt stuck to his body with sweat. Arashi was panting, brown hair a mess on his head.

The sight of the three pre-teens made her remember the days when she was a Genin. Ah, those days...

"Why didn't you help out, sensei?" Ami demanded to know. When the orange haired lady ignored her, she stomped the ground childishly. _"Kuso!"_ She cursed. "I _hate_ this! Getting paid for an _S-rank_ isn't enough money to put up with this shit! Being treated like mules and then putting up with your abuse...I...I just _can't!"_

"Yet, you were crying when I told you you failed." Haruhi sniffed and began walking away, leaving it at that. Both Toby and Arashi followed while Ami huffed before following at a slower pace.

"Seriously, though. Shouldn't we be training right about now?" Ami pressed. "Aren't we ninja? These lazy _bags_ can paint their own fences, pick out their _own_ weeds - and buying groceries for a healthy man _really_ pissed me off. Didn't it make you guys mad?"

"I don't care about all that stuff," Toby mumbled, seeming to be lost in a mood. "I just want to get stronger. When are we training, Haruhi-sensei?"

"_Eeehhh..._" She shrugged. "I guess we'll train after we fill out our mission reports. Oh, you'll just _love_ doing that!" She gushed. Ami almost spat.

"Training? After working my ass off for _hours_, you want us to train?!"

"It gets easier," Haruhi reassured.

"That's _easy_ for you to say. You haven't done a thing."

"I'm a Jounin-sensei. My job is to watch you all complete your missions, and then train you afterwards. D-ranks just aren't my style, sweetie."

"You don't seem to have any style, considering you have _orange_ hair," Ami mumbled.

"Don't start, bitch. Do I need to remind you how pathetic you looked yesterday? All on the dirty ground - _where you belong_, actually."

Toby chuckled. Ami shot him a look, but stayed quiet, even if it was mostly because they were getting closer to the Hokage Tower and she didn't want to look bad in front of the most powerful man in their village.

After returning their clients' reports - a report by each client telling how well (or how bad) they all did - and watching their sensei fill out a mission report in her point of view, they each received 20 thousand ryo and headed to Training Field Four.

"Saa~!" Hijiri Haruhi stood in front of her three students with a feral grin, hands at her hips. "Let's start training!"

A pregnant pause...

"Wh-What are we going to do, Hijiri-sensei?" Arashi asked timidly, even raising his hand as if he was a little kid in class. The thought made Haruhi mentally gush.

"Etto...ano saa..._Oh!_ How well are you all in taijutsu?"

And that's how they began their training.

Arashi had the academy taught taijutsu perfected perfectly...but his punches weren't strong enough and even though he had good reflexes, his initial tactic was to flee...not defend. Ami wasn't very great in hand-to-hand combat. Her technique was based on the academy taught style, but it wasn't perfect and a person could easily take her down if need be. Her punches were strong, yet uncalculated, and her reflexes were horrible. Toby had the best taijutsu; his punches were hard enough, he was fast enough, and his reflexes were average. Overall, if a fight were to break out, he'd obviously win.

_Perfect. _Haruhi nodded, before screaming, "Yosh! Next, we're going to see how well you three can handle your weapons."

Toby gave a really, really good try to hit a bullseye, but he simply didn't have that great of aim. Probably because he was rushing, Haruhi thought, which would lead to the question on _why_ he was rushing. Arashi had to concentrate for more than ten minutes before he was able to hit a bullseye. Five minutes he wouldn't get in a real fight. He'd hardly get _five seconds._ Though, she had to admit that he had good aim if given the chance. Ami, overall, had the best aim in the group, because all she had to wait was for ten seconds and _swoosh_. The kunai sailed through the air and hit the mark perfectly.

_Alright. Alright. _Haruhi nodded, before screaming, "Yosh! Finally, we're going to see how well you can control your chakra!" Thankfully, all three of them knew what chakra was, so she didn't have to spend her time explaining chakra theory and all that other useless junk. They could grab a book if they had questions.

They practiced by doing something simple - the Leaf Sticking Technique. They had to pick up a leaf, turn their hands around, and make the leaf stick to them using chakra. Using too much resulted in the leaf being torn to shreds. Using not enough resulted in the leaf falling off. It had to be a decent amount for the leaf to successfully stick.

Ami couldn't get the leaf to stick the first few times around. She wasn't using enough chakra, and when she got irritated her chakra spiked tremendously and the leaf tore. Toby used too much chakra to begin with - he was too bent on levelling up that he wasn't concentrating or being patient so the leaf continued to tear and tear. Arashi, however, mastered the technique on his second try. When asked _"how did you do it so easily?"_ by his teammates, he simply replied that _"it's kind of like controlling water in your mind. It sounds hard, but it's surprisingly easy."_ The answer just made the other two irritated, though they finally got it in the end, if just barely.

"Yosh." Haruhi nodded to her three students, who just stood staring at her. Was she like that when she was little? "I've gauged and compared all of your strengths and weaknesses with your teammates. Purple-chan, you need to work on your taijutsu and chakra control. You aren't thinking your attacks through well enough, and you use too little chakra. Your aim is nearly perfect, though."

The girl gave a victorious sneer towards her two teammates, who both simply ignored her.

"Ponytail-chan, your aim isn't so good and your chakra control really needs work, but I think if you would just be a bit patient, you'd fix those flaws. Your taijutsu is great, however, because you're just aggressive enough to be of some harm."

To that, Toby gave the purple headed girl a cocky smirk. She scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

"And Goggles-san, your taijutsu is alright but you lack the power and killer reflexes. You have good aim, I admit, but you need to be faster in order to utilize that aim. You excel in chakra control, though, which can be deadly enough when lacking in taijutsu."

Arashi gave a silent nod, smiling a bit.

"So, to work on the things you suck in," she continued bluntly. "and to add onto the things you're awesome in, every day after our missions we're going to have certain sections that each of you will work on. By the logs is the weaponry section, in the field is the taijutsu section, and beside the lake is the chakra control section. Tomorrow, Ami will start at the taijutsu, Toby will start at the chakra, and Arashi will start at the weapons. Then, you'll swap each day clockwise. I'll be there to give assistance when needed."

The Jounin then yawned, stretching lazily. She was getting tired, and it was obvious the kids wanted to go home. Well, Arashi and Ami, at least.

"...We'll stop here for today. Squad Four - you are dismissed." She proclaimed in a stern voice. She then smiled at her brown haired Genin. "C'mon, Arashi-kun. Let's go to your new apartment, ne?"

* * *

**"We... We're friends, right, Sakura-san?"**

* * *

"...N-Ne...Hijiri-sensei..."

"What?"

"I-I want to b-be a Medical-Nin!"

"Huh? Where did this come from?"

"I met a...n-nice guy...and he said h-he'd help me. I-I just need permission from you...to go to th-the hospital to...train..."

"Hmm... Well, you _do_ have the chakra control for it...and you do fit the type..."

"...S-So..?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why not? You can go during the days that you're supposed to practice chakra control."

"Arigato gozaimasu, sensei!"

* * *

**"We... We're friends, right, Sakura-san?"**

* * *

The apartment was...normal. A small kitchen, a small bathroom, and his room. That's all there was in the apartment. And, shockingly, there was a bag filled with supplies and a note, all left by the Hokage. A pit of warmness filled Arashi's chest at this. Did the old man have a soft spot for all orphans?

After all the supplies were put away accordingly and his sensei was gone...Arashi decided to open the note from the Hokage. The first few sentences were normal things to say...but the last thing made his breath hitch.

_Dear Kumugai Arashi,_

_I hope your new apartment is to your liking. If you don't feel quite comfortable in it, you can always go back to the orphanage until you mature a bit more...or maybe you can even invite a friend to stay with you. Remember, I'm paying this month's rent for you, but you're responsible for the rest. Save up your money, okay? _

_I'm also the one who paid and left all of the things I'm guessing you'll need. I hope I'm not coming off too pushy; I just want what's best for all of my ninja. _

_Oh, and I've noticed that you've been interacting with Naruto a bit. You want to be his friend, do you? Well...don't tell anyone this, but I'm a bit worried about him. He's been so cold and alone lately...it's very worrying. Could you get closer to him for me? All I want is to see him smile like he used to...that's all. Think of it as a personal mission from me to you._

_To assist you in this mission, you're living in the same apartment complex as the boy. He's your next door neighbor, actually. Be kind to him, please, and show him some hospitality. _

_...Also, you've been mumbling to yourself lately. I can't distinguish any real words...but just know that if something's bothering you, you can always come and talk to me, your sensei, and even your teammates. That's all._

_From, The Third Hokage _

The emotions flew in before Arashi could even distinguish them all. Touched for being cared about so much? Grateful that the old man is basically helping in his mission to change Naruto. Or fear that the old man is _obviously_ spying on him...which means he's been suspected of something.

Meaning...meaning he's going to have to be a lot more careful about the things that he does...

...Kumugai Arashi couldn't handle all the pressure. He clumsily stumbled over to his bed, fell in it, and embraced sleep with open arms.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Wow...this is a lot. Like, when I was writing it, it didn't feel like anything. But...skimming over it...wow. Anyway, on another note, I HAVE 25 REVIEWERS AND 45 FOLLOWERS...AND I'M ONLY ON CHAPTER FOUR! I LOVE YOU ALL **_**SOOOOOO**_** MUCH! TAKE IT! TAKE MY TWISTED LOVE AND EMBRACE IT! /shot**

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**R.T.R:**

**DaOneInDaCorner: Ohohoho~ Once you go Anko Mitarashi, you never go back. And lots of chaos and mayhem assured. And about that response thingy...uhh… SMOKE BOMB! /shot off a cliff _¦¦¦**

**DarkLord98: Oh. Mah. Gawd. I just looked it up, and yes. YES. I...it's so creepy, but I love it so much. I can't explain it. I may have to watch the movie to get more information on it, but I'm glad you told me about this thing, because there is a very high chance of it being in this fic.**

**Kage Kurai: I'm liking Haruhi more and more every chapter. And as soon as I thought of her having a best friend, Anko was the first person that came to mind. It's ingenious, really. AND AMI-BITCH is just awful. Like, I cried tears of joy when Haruhi verbally abused her. More to come...Kage-chan...more to come until her probable demise. MUHAHAHAHAHA- *cough, choke, die* ⊙****﹏⊙ ****Toby will have a lot of character development in this. Y'know, I can really imagine someone hating the male sex because of being abused by their father. Shishishi~ I'm so wise.**

**In caverns dark: I...I...really like your name. It's...nice. •****﹏•**

**Cardex-san: Ah! S-Stop! You're embarrassing me! (butpleasekeepgoing) And yes...I feel sorta sympathetic for his situation. Hopefully he fulfils his dream and kills his father...or something very close to it. AND OW! Are you alright? Rocks flying out of nowhere...what is this world coming to? And now your hair is crisping? A-Are you a witch? /shot with a shotgun and brutally mauled by bears. AND...EW. Kabuto and Arashi? That...if I had the knowledge about Kabuto, I'd stay fifty feet away from him. That boy's not right, I tell ya. He's… *shiver* Anyway, I'm glad you're liking everything so far! People like you give me the will to keep writing! **

**Guest: Who knows how long it'll take? Something unexpected might happen...the next thing you know, our poor Arashi-kun is Hokage! /shot ∩_∩**

**Jiopaba: Sigh… Okay, Arashi is **_**stressed out.**_** He has the knowledge that people who's been nice to him will **_**die**_**. He has the knowledge that the Hokage of the village will **_**die**_** in a few months. He has the knowledge that people would kill for, and one bad slip-up and it's over for him. Hinata's already dead! Naruto's totally different. What do you expect from him? Do you want him to skip around happily, wasting his time associating with friends that probably won't see the next year? No. Absolutely no. He may be a crybaby, but that's one of his flaws. And everyone has flaws about themselves. He's not perfect. He's going through a lot, and would you rather him bottle it all up and then commit suicide? He's going to cry when things get too tough, and that's just him. You'll just have to deal with it. And also, inspiring the Jounin to take pity on him was a good thing...because they would have all failed if he didn't. And what next? Exactly. And yes, he's horrified by how the world is. He's completely terrified, because wouldn't you be? What would you do in his situation that he's not trying to do? He's trying to get stronger, he's trying to change Naruto, he's trying to make things better. His resolve is also better than most ninja his age. Ami/Sakura are ninja for Sasuke. Naruto is a ninja because he literally can't be anything else. Sasuke's a ninja to kill his brother. What's the correct resolve to you? He's just as messed up as them, but at least he's trying to be a ninja to **_**save**_** people. Yeah, he thinks his situation is completely pointless at times, but at the same time he knows it'll be unbearable to just sit by and let things go to hell. And as I said, his crying is letting out emotion instead of bottling it all up, because yes, we already established he's a crybaby and that's just him. And you aren't going to like every character. A lot of my fans hate some of these guys, but they aren't going off about it. And I'm not exaggerating about the genin being stronger than Kakashi. You probably haven't read some, but that does not mean I'm exaggerating, because I have. I have literally read a fic where the main character came to the Naruto Universe and learned the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and even defeated Kakashi in an all-out fight...on, like, the second chapter. So yeah. That's not the only one. And Arashi is not a loser. Have you even seen him in a fight yet? In a spar? You can't call him useless without even seeing him in action. Yes, he said that he has no self-confidence in himself, but that doesn't mean he's useless...because he is not. So, if you're done bashing poor little Arashi-chan, I'll see you in six months. **

**Guest: Ah..? You...actually like the characters of Team Four? (⊙o⊙)****？ ****I mean, people liked Haruhi from the beginning. People also liked Arashi, except for a few other people. Nobody liked Toby and Ami, but then Toby's reasons were explained and people began accepting him. People still hate Ami...but you like them? Le gasp! Anyway, thanks for the review, and I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. And a zombie Hinata would be pretty traumatic… *shiver***

**bored411: Thank you. Thanks...a lot. I try to make Arashi as realistic as possible, so thanks for noticing! I hope you continue enjoying! (*^****﹏****^*)**

**Sin of the Fallen: Maybe he can cry during a deadly fight and they'll let him go? That'd be boss...in Arashi's own way. ╮(╯3╰)╭**

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**Sigh...Anywhoozies~ I hope you all favorite, follow, review, and continue reading! See ya next time! Bye nii~! ****ヽ****(^****。****^)****ノ**


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